Sitch of a Wish
by KharmicHammer
Summary: AU - Kim and Ron help Sultan Betty keep the peace in a kingdom full of conniving lords and crazy people. Everything is normal for the two until the day the Sultan's brother steals an old map. Kim ends up racing to the Cave of Wonders, where she finds a rather cranky genie... Eventual KiGo and RonYori
1. Ch 1 - In the Beginning

_Disclaimer: I don't own Kim Possible or any characters involved, and this story is written just for entertainment purposes._

 _A/N: I've wanted to write one of these for a while now, but I wasn't sure of what story to tell for it. When I finally did come up with something, all the pieces pretty much just fell into place. This is an AU story based on Aladdin, sorta. And yes, it'll be KiGo, so if that's not your thing, consider yourself warned._

 _Starting this at 'T' and probably staying there._

* * *

 **Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 1 - In the beginning...

"Get her!" Lord Gemini shouted at his men, pointing his golden gauntlet at the nimble redhead who'd just swiped the scroll from his desk. Kim Possible grinned, tucking the scroll in her trousers as she turned and dropped into a fighting stance. She could have just made her way out the window and gotten away, but Gemini's thugs had a habit of roughing up the merchants in the market, and she liked humiliating them when she could.

"KP, come on!" Her partner Ron called from another room farther down the hallway. She could hear barking of some sort, so he was probably holding off guard dogs, she guessed. "We need to go."

Kim kicked one of the guards back into a second, sending both men tumbling to the ground. A third guard tried to grab her, but an elbow to his rather sizeable gut left him gasping for air. She spotted two more across the room readying bows and decided that maybe Ron was right. Gemini might not be all that threatening, but he did have a lot of goons in his employ.

She tossed one of the smoke pellets her friend Wade had made for her at their feet, the billowing cloud hiding her dash for the hall. "Ron, I'm on the way out!"

One of the smarter guards was waiting for her in the hallway, but she slid past the awkward grab he attempted and shoved him back towards the doorway, knocking him into one of the bowmen. A curse from the room she'd just left followed as the other bowman tripped on his companions.

Kim had to duck as a blade sprung out from the wall. Clearly they'd missed some traps, but like most things Gemini did, they were oversized and easy to spot. She jumped another pressure plate, almost disappointed in how easy he was making it for her. She just hoped Ron had managed to avoid any traps on his part.

"Gotcha!" The sandy blond met her at the large window at the end of the hallway. He'd busted the shutters open already and had their lines secured. The two teens quickly slid down the ropes, Kim landing lightly on her feet while Ron's pants kept going to the dirt road. Kim sighed as he fixed the wayward trousers. Some things seemed to be Fate. They would fight the corrupt lords who kept the city so chaotic and try to stop their plans, the guards chased them, and Ron's pants fell off at least once per job.

A pair of guards on the wall called out that they'd spotted the teens, and an arrow embedded itself in the side of a nearby building. She tugged Ron along, dashing down the first alley she could find. She kept taking random turns, trying her best to get as far as she could from the manor.

"Did you get that whatever it was Sultan Betty sent you after?" Ron asked her as they caught their breath. Rufus watched from the corner, keeping an eye out for any sign of pursuit from Gemini's men. The naked mole rat gave her a thumbs-up when she glanced his way and she nodded her thanks.

"Sure did." She held out the scroll to show him, but when he reached for it, she pulled it back. "She said not to open it."

"Aww man, the bad guys got to see it, but we don't? This tanks." He complained.

"Uh huh!" Rufus agreed.

"Guys, come on, we promised." Kim was curious about the scroll too, but she'd given Betty her word. Ron sighed - he knew better than to try to argue Kim out of something she'd promised.

"Fine, let's just get this over with." He let Rufus climb up his shirt, and he rejoined Kim on their way back to the palace.

"Anxious to see Yori?" She teased.

Ron's face flushed. "There's nothing between me and the princess."

"There won't ever be if you don't talk to her." Kim wanted to help Ron out, but he'd asked her not to interfere. So she had to content herself with lots and lots of prodding.

"I'll talk to her one of these days." The sandy-haired boy replied noncommitally. Kim shook her head - she knew that he probably wouldn't, but she couldn't say anything to him without violating her promise. So it looked like it was time for some more pushing. Maybe she could sound out Princess Yori...

She let the matter drop and returned her attention to the path leading to the palace. Sultan Betty Director rarely called on her services, but Kim held out hope that one day she'd be selected to work for her full time. Usually she sent Will Du, the captain of the royal guards, for missions like this. However, since he'd been injured in a skirmish with Lord Dementor last month, she'd been relying more and more on Kim and her vizier, Lord Drakken. Kim and Ron handled the missions while Drakken took over the guards and kept order in the city.

At least Sultan Director didn't let Drakken do much more than have them patrol the markets and gates. The man was smart, but his ideas backfired most of the time. Kim had cleaned up more than one mess from a failed plan of his. Still, given that her brother still contested her rulership, Kim understood that Drakken had his place. Even the sultan couldn't do everything, so loyal people were a must. No matter that they might be a little crazy.

"Hey Kim, mind if I just go home?" Ron asked her when they passed the street leading to the Possible and Stoppable manors. "I'm feeling a bit hungry and well..."

"Kay, Ron." Kim waved as he started down the side street. She was a bit disappointed, but she understood his feelings. "Seeya tomorrow."

"Seeya Kim. And thanks." He sounded relieved.

* * *

"... and you didn't read it?" Sultan Betty narrowed her eye at Kim, sending an involuntary shiver running through her. As much as she dealt with rebel lords, traitors, and other maniacs, she never felt nearly as intimidated as she did when she had to report to the older woman sitting across from her.

"No ma'am." Kim confirmed. "Ron wanted to, but I didn't let him."

"So neither of you was the one who opened this?" The sultan tapped the scroll.

"We found it like that." She nodded to the broken seal.

"Unfortunate. I have to assume that my brother copied it and has had time to decipher it." She stood up and walked to the doorway, opening it. "Lipski!"

"Yes, Majesty?" The advisor asked, sparing only a small glance to where Kim sat.

"Gemini might have read this." Betty gestured to where the scroll sat on the table.

"Oh snap." The vizier muttered.

"I'll brief Kim, but I'm going to need you to prepare a small team of guards to back her and Ron up. Lead them personally, Drew. We can't take chances on this one." Betty ordered. "Send Du to go get Stoppable and have him be ready to head out immediately."

"Of course, Majesty. I'll get ready right away." He bowed his way out of the room.

"Apologize to Ron for sending you two back out so soon, but I'm going to need you both on this one." The sultan grimaced. "I never thought Sheldon would try for this. He has to know it won't work."

"What is on that scroll that's so important, Majesty?" Kim's curiousity got the better of her.

The glare in the eye of the older woman pinned her to the chair. "Understand that what I'm about to tell you needs to be kept secret. You can tell Ron, but no one else." Kim nodded and the sultan continued. "Long ago, my ancestor saved this kingdom from an evil sorceror. Unfortunately, many of his artifacts were left behind and had to be dealt with. So my ancestor sealed them away, hid them in a cave and erased all knowledge of its location, save for this scroll."

Betty sighed. "This scroll was also kept secret, but Sheldon was told at the same time I was. He's tried to get his hands on it many times, but he only succeeded now that Will is out of the way due to his injury."

"So, he's after some magic relics that have been locked away for centuries?" Kim clarified. When Betty nodded, she asked another question. "Is there something in particular that he's after?"

"I'm not certain." The sultan admitted. "Even what I know is little more than hearsay. I just know that we can't risk him getting ahold of anything from there."

"So what's the plan?" She asked.

"I need you to scout out the cave, take a look around and see what's there. Lipski will have the guards secure the area, and when you're out, he'll seal it up. We'll post a watch on it, and when Sheldon tries for it, we can nab him them."

"Sounds good." Kim got up.

"Kim." The sultan held up her hand, stopping Kim in place.

"Yes, Majesty?"

"Be careful."

"I can handle this, no big." She grinned. "Anything is possible for a Possible."

* * *

Sultan Betty watched the young redhead exit the palace grounds. She knew that soon enough Will Du would be here, protesting that he was healed enough to lead the mission instead of handing it off to someone outside the official palace staff. Still, even his objections wouldn't have changed her mind. She'd been grooming Kim for some time now, and she knew the girl could indeed handle this mission.

Besides, with no idea what defenses her ancestor might have left on the cave, she needed to send someone who not only was skilled, but could also improvise as needed. While Will met the first requirement, he was decidely lacking when it came to the second.

She had even considered sending her adopted daughter Yori with them, but she couldn't spare the girl right now. Yet another lord with an unmarried son would be arriving tomorrow, and they'd both need to greet them.

Betty sighed. Some days she never seemed to get a break...

* * *

"So, no time for dinner?" Ron complained. "This tanks."

"Hungry!" Rufus added.

"Guys, I am too, but something came up..." Kim quickly filled her friends in on the new situation. "...and so, if he gets those magic relics..."

"Notgood." Rufus shook his head.

"You said it, buddy." Ron agreed. "At least with Vizier L-man and the guards along, we'll be travelling in style on this one. Let him set up the camp and all that."

She agreed with that. If the matter was so urgent, it would be good to have a little help. Especially since Gemini would be sure to try for some kind of revenge for her recent mission against him. He'd be looking out for any sign of further interference from her.

Fortunately for them, the trip to the location on the map progressed uneventfully. By the time they reached the site, even Ron was a bit bored by the lack of excitement. The guards efficiently started work on the tents while Kim elected to take Ron and try to find the entrance to the cave. The map had included some clues to it, but she could see that there had been some significant changes to the terrain in the centuries since it had been made.

"So... a giant, lion-headed cave should be right here, and we're missing it?" Ron scanned the horizon skeptically. "I dunno, KP. You'd think we would see somethin' like that."

"It's gotta be here, Ron. Somewhere around here." She tried to sound certain, but a hint of doubt crept into her voice.

"Well, I guess if we can't find it, Gemini's thugs can't either." Ron reluctantly said.

"Let's keep looking." Kim pointed to a nearby rock formation. "We can start there."

The two friends spent the rest of the afternoon hunting around for any sign of the cave without much luck. After a dinner at the camp, Kim decided to take one last look in the fading light of dusk, hoping the change in perspective might help.

"Hey KP, I think I see something..." Ron pointed towards one particularly large dune.

Kim squinted. It looked like the sand was moving... shifting... flowing... "Ron, I think we might want to back up a little bit..."

"With ya there." He stumbled back over a dune, gratefully accepting her steadying hand.

A low rumbling built up and the far dune shuddered, sand pouring down as a huge chunk of dark rock emerged from it. She could hear shouting from behind them, as the guards ran up, followed by Vizier Lipski. "Egad!"

"Stay back, Vizier!" Kim tried to keep the guards from coming any closer.

"What is that?" The man stared at the growing shape.

"I'm pretty sure that's our magic cave." Kim's eyes were locked on it as well.

"Impossible!"

"Uh, dude, unless there's another magic rock cave thing around here, I'm gonna agree with Kim on this one." Ron was also focused on the dunes.

Finally the rumbling stopped and what appeared to be a large lion made of granite swiveled its head towards them. Twin golden gems lit up, gleaming in the darkness. " **Who seeks the Cave of Wonders?"**

Kim swallowed and looked around. The vizier was frozen in place, as well as most of the guards. Ron nodded towards the cave and moved to stand with her. "I do. I'm Kim Possible."

" **Why have you sought this place?** "

"Others are coming here, they mean to steal the treasures you guard."

The... cave sat silent for a long, long time. Kim was about to give up when it rumbled once more. **"Then enter. Touch nothing except the lamp.** "

"Uh... what lamp?" Ron asked from beside her, but the cave didn't answer. He turned to Kim. "What lamp?"

"No idea, Ron." She looked to Lipski.

"I'm not sure either, Miss Possible." The vizier gulped. "I think I shall stay out here and keep an eye on the camp. The sultan's orders were pretty clear on this, after all."

"Probably going to change his pants." Ron whispered to her, causing her to smother a giggle.

"It'll be fine, Vizier. Ron and I will go check out the sitch and get back to you." Kim reassured him. "Keep an eye out for Gemini for us."

"Two eyes, and gladly." He turned and started issuing orders to the guards.

"So... what now, KP?" Ron eyed the cave warily. "I'd really to not get eaten, y'know?"

"We need to check it out." Kim checked her gear - she had everything she'd probably need. "Sultan Betty said to investigate, so that's what we'll do. Besides, I want to know about this lamp it was talking about."

"You know I've always got your back, KP, but this feels like a really bad idea." Ron hurried to keep up with her.

"Uh huh." Rufus agreed from Ron's pocket.

"Let's just get this done with so the vizier can have the guards cover this place back up." Kim suppressed a shiver. Maybe Ron had a point. "Even if you're right, we can't let Gemini in here."

"True that." The sandy blond admitted.

Kim advanced to the entrance and extended her leg, stepping down on the cool stone of the cave and waited.

Nothing.

Feeling confident that the cave wasn't going to eat her, at least not right away, she walked in a bit further before waving for Ron to join her. He also tested the first step, and Kim couldn't fault him for his caution. A magical, talking cave was certainly not the usual sitch, after all.

Inside the cave, the smooth stone followed a path spiraling downward. Torches along the wall lit up as they drew near, lighting the way for them.

"Ooooohkay, not creepy at all." Ron muttered.

Despite her efforts, Kim quickly lost count of the number of steps they'd descended. The stairs seemed to go on and on, with no sign of stopping. Then, just when she was about to suggest returning to the surface and trying again later, they reached the bottom. An elaborately carved arch waited for them, two more torches sparking up to illuminate the room beyond.

"Booyah..." Ron breathed quietly.

Kim halted next to her friend, silently agreeing with him. Light reflected off piles of golden coins taller than either of them. Gems larger than any she'd ever seen glinted from carelessly gathered scatterings. Silks and other rare cloth dotted the coin piles here and there.

The room was easily larger than any in the place. In fact, Kim was sure that she might even be able to fit the palace inside here, given that she couldn't see the other side.

It was only when Ron, seemingly in a trance, reached towards one particularly large ruby that she broke free of her daze. Before her best friend could touch it, she grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backwards. "Ron, no!"

He stared at her blankly before turning his gaze once more towards the massive gem. "KP, look at it..."

"You heard the cave. We can't take anything!" Kim shivered. "I thought you didn't want to be a snack for a giant talking rock."

"It's just one gem." He replied softly. "If I had that, I could be richer than any prince. I'd have a real shot with Yori..."

"I don't want to die, Ron. Leave it, please." She pulled him past the gem, taking care to avoid any of the coins or other treasures. "Besides, if we succeed here, Yori'll notice you, for sure."

"Awww, fine." He tore his eyes from the gem and concentrated on the path ahead.

Eventually, she reached the other side of the room, although she found that wasn't quite accurate. A massive chasm bounded the far end, with only a small path of rock crossing it. The narrow trail led to an island of rock hanging over the abyss. More torches lit the elaborately carved arches on each end of the path, as well as several pillars decorating the island.

And sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the island was a plain brass lamp.

"I'd like to repeat my 'creepy' and add 'trap' and quite possibly 'cursed'." Ron commented from beside her. He eyed the arches, flinching at the designs covering them. "Why else would anyone surround it with carvings of monkeys?"

"That's gotta be the lamp the cave was talking about." Kim tried to get a better look at it, but it was difficult from this side of the chasm. "I need to get closer."

"Uh, bad idea. Bad, bad idea." He tried to stop her. "Let's just go, I'm starting to get a real bad feeling about this. Whole lotta bad in general here."

"C'mon Ron, don't you want to know why this is the only thing we're allowed to take?" She walked through the first archway. "See? No big."

Kim advanced towards the lamp, checking the nearby pillars for any signs of traps, but didn't see anything. She reached the island, staying back a pace from the pedestal holding the lamp. It _looked_ safe enough, but she worried that maybe Ron had a point after all. The Sultan's ancestor sealed this place away, including the lamp, for some purpose, and she had no idea why. Was the lamp put here to keep it out of the wrong hands, or to make sure it was safely away from people it could hurt?

Ron joined her reluctantly, shivering each time he passed one of the monkey carvings. He spoke up quietly as he looked down at the plain brass lamp. "Gotta say, I'm a bit bummed. All that setup for this?"

"Sultan Betty did say this place was built to store away magic relics. Maybe this is one of them?" Kim guessed.

Ron was about to reply when they heard a familiar voice echo from the treasure room behind them.

" _Egad! At last!_ "

* * *

Vizier Lipski watched as Possible and Stoppable entered the cave, the torch the sandy blond carried swiftly fading from view only to be replaced by steady glows from the tunnel. He set the guards to watch, just as he'd told Kim and Ron he would, but his attention remained focused on the cave. And on what Sultan Betty had said before sending them out here.

At the start, he'd felt honored that she chose him to lead the guards, but that had faded quickly, buried deeply when he realized he was here simply to do the manual labor while Possible and her buffoon sidekick took care of the important business.

It wasn't the first time this happened to him either. When Betty Director had claimed the throne after her father died, he fully expected to be granted the regency during the transition. Instead, he was pushed aside in favor of Du and then Possible, trusted only when she had no other option. Not once did anyone recognize how much he did for the kingdom!

So he decided to see the cave himself. If he could return one of the relics the Sultan's ancestor had left behind, he'd show her he could be trusted to handle important matters. Those thoughts comforted him as he worked his way down the long spiral stairway. He would show them all just how important Drew Lipski was! He would...

His eyes widened, taking in the gold and gems scattered throughout the huge room at the base of the stairs. More gold than in the Sultan's treasure room, more than in the entire kingdom, possibly the whole world. His gaze focused on one particularly enormous ruby. That alone would let him live like the Sultan herself.

A plan formed in his mind. Even if he did retrieve a relic, he just knew that his efforts wouldn't be appreciated. But money changed everything. With even the smallest fraction of the wealth piled in this room, he would no longer have to serve those not worthy of him. He would be free at last.

"Egad. At last!" He reached out, grabbing the ruby.

It was only when the cave started rumbling that he realized his mistake.

 **"Thief! You were warned to take nothing save the lamp! Now you shall pay for your transgression!** "

"Oh snap."

Clutching the ruby, he dashed for the stairs, desperate to escape.

* * *

"Was that Vizier Lipski?" Kim wondered.

"KP, worry about that later!" Ron dashed across the path leading back to the treasure room. "We gotta go, now!"

"Right, sorry." Kim moved to follow him, then turned back at the last moment.

"Kim!" Ron called out when he noticed she was no longer right behind him.

She sprinted to the pedestal and grabbed the lamp, tossing it in her pack before running across the bridge. When she caught up to Ron, they made their way through the shifting piles of gold and other treasure, trying their best to keep their balance as the floor heaved and shuddered under them.

She almost reached the stairs when Ron tripped, falling as a bolt of silk took his feet out from under him. Hastily grabbing his arm, she helped him up, shoving him out of the way as a huge chunk of rock landed right where he'd been standing a moment before. Dust poured from the frame of the doorway ahead, and Kim could see the roof of the tunnel shaking. "Ron, stop!"

"We're almost there!" He tried to break free from her grasp.

"We'll never make it up that stairway before it collapses. We need to find somewhere safe to ride this out, then we can try to get out when everything settles down." Kim looked around, spotting a small crevice in one of the walls. She pointed to it. "There, hurry!"

"Right behind ya." He panted as they made one desperate sprint for the shelter.

The friends wedged themselves in the opening, bracing themselves as the cave continued to shake and rocks fell from the ceiling. After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, the cave finally settled down. Kim and Ron sat still for a while, though. Neither of them wanted to risk it.

"So, was I imagining things or did it sound like the vizier was down here when everything went sour?" Ron asked.

"I heard him too." Kim confirmed. "I guess he got greedy, and well..." She waved to the ruined room. "Seems like that warning the cave said was real after all."

"This tanks." He sighed as he pointed to the doorway. "We're screwed. Look at all that rubble. If the whole stair is like that, we'll never be able to clear it or get out."

"We find another way out then. Anything is possible." She tried to cheer him up.

* * *

"So... new plan then?" Ron slumped down on a pile of gold. They'd found out that the rule against touching the treasure was no longer being enforced when Ron had tripped over a rock and stumbled into some of the coins. When the cave didn't yell at them or try to bury them again, they tried it again and found out that whatever magic had caused this in the first place was gone now.

"New plan." Kim agreed as she flattened out her own seat of treasure. "Say, Ron, didja bring any food? Getting kinda hungry here."

"Uh, let me check." He sorted through his pack. Rufus held out a small cloth-wrapped package to him. "Aha! Bread and cheese. That okay with you, KP?"

"Please and thank you." He tore off half the bread and tossed it to her, along with some of the cheese. She pulled the waterskin from her belt, and after taking a drink, passed it to him.

"How are you gonna get us out of here?" Ron asked her. "I looked for secret passages, shovels, something to help us, but came up empty."

"Sorry Ron, not really sure right now." She sighed. "I don't think there is another way out. I mean, this was made to guard stuff, right? Why would they have an easy way in?"

"Okay, what about the stuff in here? You said it was made to guard magic relics, maybe one of them can help us?"

"I'd say we can try, but where would we start?" Kim gestured around the room. "I'm not Wade, I don't know anything about that stuff, do you?"

"Well, what about that lamp thing?" He asked her, frustrated. "It was obviously special, why not start with that?"

"Ron, that's... brilliant!" Kim hugged him. She slung her pack down on the floor, digging through it. She held out the lamp under one of the torches, trying to get a better look at it.

"How do we use it?" Ron asked as he peered over her shoulder.

"No idea." Kim admitted. "It looks like it's just a plain old lamp." She shook it a little. "It doesn't even have any oil inside."

"Bummer."

Kim angled it, checking for some hint on what she was supposed to do with it, but it really did appear to be completely ordinary. Absently, she tried to polish up the faded brass of the lamp, her mind occupied with thinking on what else they could try to get out of here...

Kim leaped back as the lamp shook violently in her hands. Green and black smoke poured out from it, swirling around. A jet of green flame shot out, slicing through the air where Kim had been standing only a moment before.

A green skinned woman with black hair and a scowl on her face stepped out of the smoke, glaring at Kim.

"Awright, whoever interrupted the first vacation I was having in a hundred years is gonna fry!"

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Shego!_


	2. Ch 2 - Green and Black and Greens

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 2 - Black and Green and Greens

* * *

 _Shego lay down on the blanket, enjoying the feel of sun on her skin and the smell of the ocean. Vacations were always a good thing, in her book. She got one every decade or so, and the beach was the first place she went. Yeah, it was more sand, but it was a beach, so that made it good sand._

 _She grinned. Life was pretty sweet. Here she was, only 500, and already a full genie of the lamp. Even better, her lamp was buried in a cave, so she didn't have to do anything at all. Hang out in the lamp, read, do her nails, work out, train, whatever. No pesky wish granting, no flashy appearances, just lots and lots of nothing._

 _Shego streched out, shifting to get comfy on the blanket. The rest of the day was going to be great. She had nothing planned except lounging here. She briefly considered conjuring herself a massage, but that seemed like too much effort. After all, she was on vacation from work. The whole point was to take a break from doing nothing in the cave by doing nothing here. She pulled out a scroll to read while she tanned. Maybe tomorrow for the massage, assuming she felt up to it..._

 _Then it happened._

 _Shego had never experienced it herself, having taken over for the previous genie after lamp had already been hidden away in the cave, but she knew what it was. No genie could mistake_ that _sensation._

 _Someone was rubbing her lamp._

 _"No! Not now!" Shego hugged herself, trying desperately to stay here, to deny what was happening. But it was no use. She could no more resist the summons than she could pretend she didn't know what it was._

 _Her smoke swirled around her body, tugging her back towards the cave and her lamp. "Nonononono..."_

 _She reformed, calling forth her fire, determined to make whoever had ruined her vacation pay for it._

"Awright, whoever interrupted the first vacation I was having in a hundred years is gonna fry!"

* * *

Shego glared at the redhead in front of her. Okay, so maybe she had exaggerated how long it had been between vacations, but it was supposed to be a dramatic entrance and 'century' sounded better than 'decade'. She was a genie after all, and she had a reputation to protect. Besides, from the way the girl dropped into a fighting stance, she was looking for trouble, and genies were supposed to give people what they wanted...

"KP, what's going on?" A young man peered out from behind a coin stack and gasped when he spotted her. "Who's that? How'd she get in here?"

"I dunno, Ron." The redhead kept her eyes on Shego. The genie was slightly impressed that the girl wasn't letting herself get distracted.

Growling, she launched herself at the girl, her blazing fist flashing towards her opponent's head. But the redhead ducked the punch and leaped over her followup kick, nimbly dodging just out of reach. Shego had to jump back herself, as the sandy haired boy had moved up to help his parter and tried to knock her away. "Hey lady, what's your problem? You're trapped here with us too. You should be trying to help us."

Shego laughed, flaring the plasma around her fists before sending a blast towards the young man. "Trapped? I'm a genie, you buffoon. You mortals might be trapped, but _I_ have an appointment on a beach waiting for me."

"Uh, genies aren't real." He argued. She raised an eyebrow, surging her plasma again for him and illuminating the green of her skin. He gulped. "Ohkay... maybe they are..."

"Hold it... you were in the lamp?" The redhead frowned and held out her lamp. _Her_ lamp! Shego refused to let the shiver she felt show. She had to play this right. She had to hope... "So if you're the genie of the lamp, does that mean...?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the genie, I serve the master of the lamp, you make wishes and I grant 'em. Agreed?" Shego scowled at the girl, who just nodded her acceptance. "Good, now if all the talking is done..." She snapped a kick towards the redhead, almost clipping the girl in the side. She needed to keep her off balance, make sure the girl didn't realize how much power she really had here.

A followup attack sent the redhead bumping against the wall, and the girl barely ducked a plasma swipe that left glowing gouges in the rock wall. The girl kicked out, knocking her away and buying herself some space. Shego laughed, this time from sheer excitement. As much as she liked not having to do anything, fighting like this was pretty fun too. Even her brothers couldn't really match her skills, so to find a mortal who could keep up with her was surprising to say the least.

"Wait!" The redhead called out, and Shego had to fight an involuntary desire to stop right where she was. It wasn't a wish, so she wasn't _forced_ to obey it, but it was still the desire of the master of her lamp. _Damn it! This is so not why I took this gig_! She tried to cover her hesitation with a flurry of blows, but the look in the redhead's eyes said that she'd been busted. "If you're really a genie, I _wish_ you'd stop trying to fight me so we can talk this all out."

"Doy!" Shego groaned and backed off, letting her plasma fade away. She tried not to grind her teeth. "Your wish is my command."

The two mortals kept their distance, but the glances that flashed between them spoke volumes. _Busted big time_. She stood back, bound by the girl's wish. She could feel her own power holding her back, and knew that there was nothing she could do until the girl released her or the wish was fulfilled. Still, a small part of her gloated victoriously. The girl had wasted a wish on something so simple, so easy... at this rate, she'd be free to return to her vacation in no time.

"So... let me get this straight. You're the genie of this lamp," The redhead brandished it towards her, "and that means you have to grant me wishes?"

"Yup, and you already wasted one, cupcake." Shego replied sarcastically. "You heard the deal, three wishes, and now you're down to two."

"Three wishes?" The girl smiled slyly. "That's not what we agreed to."

"It's standard genie rules. You accepted the deal, so too bad for you, but you're gonna have to be stuck with it. It's magic that makes the rules, not me." She smirked, but for some reason, the grin still hadn't left the other girl's face. She shared a look with her friend that worried the genie.

"Well, let's test that. I _wish_ you could hear what you said to me when you told me the terms." The redhead's voice sent another round of shivers racing through her as her magic once again activated.

 _"Yeah, yeah, I'm the genie, I serve the master of the lamp, you make wishes and I grant 'em. Agreed?"_ Shego heard her own voice, loud and clear. Her heart sank as the girl spoke up again. "See? Nothing about only three wishes."

"But- you- Genies are supposed to only grant three wishes! It's tradition!" She sputtered.

"Sorry, you made the deal, so too bad for you, but you're gonna have to be stuck with it." The sandy haired boy gloated from next to his friend. "Magic might make the rules, but you're the one who messed up. Not Kim's fault that you didn't say only three."

Shego glared at him. "Look, I may not be able to hurt her, but there's nothing protecting you, buffoon."

He gulped, but the redhead - Kim - stepped in between them. "Okay, genie-"

"Shego." She growled. She might be stuck with this, but there was no way she was gonna go through it as 'genie' this and 'genie' that.

"Shego." Kim corrected. "I _wish_ you wouldn't hurt Ron, either."

"Granted." Shego ground out.

* * *

"So what now?" Ron asked her. He glared over her shoulder at the green woman. "Hey, mind giving us some room to talk?"

"Privacy!" Rufus added his own scowl.

"You're not the master of the lamp, so I'm not taking orders from vermin." Kim wasn't facing her at the moment, but she could practically hear the scowl that had to be gracing the genie's face.

"Hey, Rufus isn't vermin, he's a naked mole rat." Ron protested.

"I wasn't talking about _him_." Shego retorted.

Kim sighed. "Shego, please?"

"Whatever, Princess." The genie stepped back a whole pace. "There, space. Happy now?"

"Thrilled." Kim replied dryly. She pulled Ron to the side and they backed away from the green woman. "What's up, Ron?"

"Look, if she really has to grant your wishes, why don't you make her get us out of here?" He asked.

"Kinna the plan..." Kim looked around. "I guess I'm just a bit worried. You know she's gonna try to mess with my wishes, so we gotta be careful, y'know?"

"So you're gonna take the lamp with you?" Ron nodded to it.

"Yeah, can't just leave it here, not when we know what it does." Kim tucked it back inside her pack.

"Booyah! Team Possible's got their own genie." He grinned.

"We need to keep this quiet, Ron." She reminded him.

"Yeah, but wishes!" His gaze drifted.

"Yo, you two lovebirds need more _privacy_ or are you gonna make with the wishing?" Shego complained from where she waited.

"Cranky, isn't she?" Ron muttered.

Kim ignored his comment and focused on the genie. "Shego, I _wish_ you would get us out of this cave _safely_." She stressed the last word.

"Granted." A green glow surrounded them, blinding them momentarily. When she could see again, Kim found that they were on the dunes above where the cave had risen from the sands. Ron stumbled against her, blinking as he tried to clear his vision.

"Dude, I'm gonna... gonna..." He stumbled away from her just in time to throw up. "Ugh... No more wish-travel-magic..."

"Charming." Shego smirked.

"Shego, play nice..." Kim warned the genie.

"Yes, boss." The green girl replied insincerely.

"Can you get us back to the palace?" Kim asked her, ignoring Ron's violent headshake. They needed to get back and show Sultan Betty the lamp and tell her about Vizier Lipski's actions.

"Sure can." The genie stood there, not moving.

Kim waited. And waited. But nothing happened. "Well?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear an 'I wish' in your little question there." The green woman grinned. "Since you're all about following the rules and all that."

"Fine... I _wish_ you would get us back to the palace." Kim ordered.

"Granted." Once again nothing happened.

"Uh, shouldn't we be there?" Ron looked around, confused. "Not that I mind not throwing up, but I'd rather get it over with if we hafta..."

"Don't worry, your ride's on the way." Shego pointed to a dune, and some camels wandered over the top.

"I sorta meant for you to get us there a little faster." Kim glanced at the camels skeptically.

"You didn't mention that in your wish." The green woman gloated. "Guess you gotta be a bit more careful with your wishes, Pumpkin."

"Then I _wish_ you would take us there immediately." Kim tried again.

"Sorry, can't do it." Shego's smile grew wider. "We're still dealing with the first version of your wish. Can't interrupt it until we're done."

"Snap." Kim muttered. "Guess it's camels for us then."

* * *

"I am never riding a camel again after this." Ron declared as he stretched, rubbing the soreness out of his legs. He nodded at Shego. "They smell worse than glowy-hands there."

"Buffoon, I might not be able to hurt you physically, but think long and hard about all the little ways your life can go wrong." The genie threatened. "How many accidents that are just waiting to happen in your day to day routine."

"Enough." Kim replied absently. Over the past week, Ron and Shego had agrued practically nonstop. Early on, she tried to stop them, but short of using a wish, she didn't see how, and she really didn't feel right using a wish on something like that.

"Why do you put up with him? The mole rat would do a better job, and drop his pants less." Shego growled to her.

"Rufus doesn't wear pants." Ron argued.

"Exactly." Shego agreed.

"KP, why can't she just wait in the lamp until we need her?" Ron asked.

"Doesn't work that way." Shego interrupted. "I can't go back till she's done with her wishes. Genie rules."

"You're just making that up to mess with me more." Ron shot back.

"Yeah, because I just love spending time with flea-ridden, ill-tempered beasts." She paused. "Not to mention, I'm not fond of camels, either."

"Hey!"

 _Maybe a wish wouldn't be so bad._ Kim mused. _It would only be to help them, after all. Just a little wish to get me some peace and quiet. No, bad thoughts, bad thoughts. No wishing to change people. No matter how tempting certain green girls make it_.

"Please guys, now that we're almost there, can you at least pretend to get along? Two more days, okay?" Kim tried to rid herself of her own stiffness. She looked out to the horizon, where the lights of the nearby town gleamed. They could use a night at an inn. Real beds. Hot, cooked food.

* * *

 _Lipski stumbled up the stairs, clutching the ruby to his chest. Rubble rained down around him, but he kept running. He had to get out of here, before the cave collapsed and sealed him in or worse. Not to mention, he needed to make sure the Sultan heard the right version of events. It wasn't his fault, after all. He was just checking the treasure vault, making sure that no dangerous relics were loose. He couldn't risk having Possible or Stoppable trying to pin this one on him._

 _One last surge of adrenaline carried him out of the mouth of the cave and he collapsed, panting on the sand. He'd made it! For once, Lipski was the winner. He'd made it to safety while Possible and Stoppable failed. And... He admired the ruby. Even in the fading light, the red sparkle was breathtaking. This would change everything, and it wasn't like the sultan needed to hear about it, after all..._

 _He was so wrapped up in the sheer joy of living that he failed to notice the approaching riders. When he looked up, Lipski felt the blood drain from his face. Lord Gemini, his golden gauntlet unmistakable, smiled at him. "Well, well... what have we here? My dear sister's lapdog. And look, he's brought me a present."_

 _The soldiers accompanying him nocked their arrows while Gemini advanced to where Lipski waited. His golden glove snatched the ruby from the vizier's grip, and he held it up for inspection. "Very nice. I always wondered what that map was hiding, and I must say, this certainly doesn't disappoint."_

 _He shrugged. "Unfortunate that such a marvel is needed for other purposes, but gifts such as this should not be squandered. If my plans are to advance, I must not waste this opportunity."_

 _He placed the gem in a large sack that he tied to his saddle. "And speaking of wasting opportunities..."_

 _Before Lipski could respond, a similar sack was thrust over his head..._

* * *

"Kim, something's not right..." Ron muttered as they rode closer to the town. He kept glancing side to side, trying to make out anything in the fading light.

"Scared of the dark, sidekick-boy?" Shego teased. "The only thing that's not right with this place is the unfortunate pebble stuck with pretending to be your brain."

"Pebble?" He glared.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I being insulting to rocks then?"

"He's right, Shego. Something's wrong with this town. Namely," She pointed at the lit up manor in the distance, "where are all the buildings that should be nearby? And why is there so much grass?"

"Hey, don't look at me, you mortals do plenty of weird stuff, how should I know?" The genie shrugged.

"People who live in lamps and glow green have no business talking about weird." Ron retorted.

"Yes, because talking to rodents is normal."

"Shego-"

"FORE!" A loud voice called out before a small sphere sailed through the air between them, striking the ground and exploding.

"What was that?" Ron took up a defensive stance next to Kim, sparing a moment to glare Shego's way. The genie held up her hands.

"Hey, wasn't me. She wished, remember?"

"Well then-"

"Ach, who is ruining me night game?" A large man wearing a very odd skirt of some kind and carrying a slender... club, Kim guessed, stood up from the walls of the manor. "I'll thank ye kindly get yer rears off me golf course, an I mean NOW!"

"What's a golf course?" Ron asked, confused.

"What's a golf course?!" The man roared. "WHAT'S A GOLF COURSE?! Laddie, you just earned yerself a trip back to that sand trap!"

A second small, white orb whizzed past Ron's head before blowing up. Another followed it, and another. Kim pointed to some nearby trees, and the three of them ran for the cover.

"Ye think the rough can save you from the wrath of Duff Killigan? I will take ye out and still be under par!"

"This guy is nuts." Shego muttered.

"Gee, ya think?" Ron spared her a glance. "Can't you like genie-magic us out of here?"

"With the right wish, yes." The genie pointed to Kim. "But that's up to her. She'd have to be sure to word it right, even with all the stress of the situation..." The green woman grinned.

"We're gonna get blown up and you think this is funny?" Kim asked.

"You two might get blown up, but I'll be fine. Immortal genie, remember? We don't do the dying thing. Worst that happens, I get tossed back into the lamp. Plus, fire's my specialty, so pathetic little explosions like this aren't gonna bother me." She faced Kim. "So, Princess, wanna make a wish, or are we just gonna stand here?"

"Come out and tee up against me, or ye'll be sorry." Killigan shouted. Another orb landed in the trees, the bomb knocking down several of them. "That's it, laddie. I warned ye."

They heard a loud thud from the direction of the manor, and the three of them peered out to see what was happening. Killigan had placed a bucket filled with more of those explosive spheres next to himself, many more. He turned away from where the three friends were hiding, and, reaching down into the bucket, bent over, the kilt riding up...

"Dude, I _so_ did not need to see that." Ron averted his eyes.

"I'm gonna be sick." Shego agreed, looking greener than usual.

"KP, make a wish already." Ron waved. "Otherwise he'll blow us up, or worse, run out of bombs and have to get more from the bucket."

"Okay, I wish we had a way to get out of here without dying." Kim yelped as she dodged a fresh round of golf ball bombs.

"Granted!"

"Ach! How did a water hazard get in the middle of me green?" Killigan yelled. "Yer gonna pay for ruining me course!"

"I asked for a way out, not a lake, Shego." Kim complained as she stared at the large lake that was now between them and the edge of town.

"Hey, I did the magic, and it gave you a lake. Not my fault you weren't more specific." She shrugged.

Kim's eyes widened when one of the golf balls landed in the lake... and didn't explode. "Ron! We're gonna swim for it. His bombs don't work underwater!"

They threw themselves into the water and took deep breaths before diving beneath the surface. Kim led the way, trusting Ron to follow behind her. She came up for air, taking her bearings quickly before going back under. Several golf balls splashed into the water around where head had been, but didn't blow up. When they finally reached the other side, they dragged themselves out of the lake, doing their best to shake off the excess water.

"Nice wish, KP, we're far enough away from him now." Ron grinned at her.

"Don't think ye'll be getting away from me that easily!" A now-familiar voice roared. With a groan, Kim turned to see Killigan rapidly advancing towards them, riding a miniature cart pulled by a pony.

"Does this guy ever give up?" Ron sighed.

"Guess we're doing this the hard way." Kim glanced over at the genie. "You wanna help or you just gonna watch?"

"You can lead this dance, cupcake. If I can't fight you, I can at least fight next to you." The green girl copied her stance, and the two of them leapt into battle.

* * *

Shego jumped, letting Kim boost her up and over a wild swing from Killigan's club. The redhead ducked under, kicking up as she did so. Shego used her plasma to slice through the metallic shaft of the club as she sailed through the air, sending the head of it spinning off into the darkness. She landed lightly on her feet, reaching down to pull the redhead up. The younger girl grinned at her as they watched Killigan turn his tiny cart around to face them once more.

"Ye asked for it! Ye ruined me irons, time for the woods." The kilted man pulled up an even larger club from the bag next to him in the cart as he glared at the girls.

This time, when Killigan charged, Kim and Shego waited until the last moment to split up. Shego dodged to one side, Kim the other. The crazy golfer focused on Shego, her glowing hands easy to spot in the darkness. The other girl took advantage of his distraction, snapping a kick at the man and knocking him out of the cart.

"Oof..." He landed with a thud on the grass. When he tried to get up, a punch from Shego sent him sprawling onto his back. Dazed eyes stared up at them. "Ye're gonna... pay for ruining me... handicap..."

Once they were sure the crazy golfer was truly unconscious, Kim tied him up and dragged him back to the cart. Shego quirked an eyebrow at the scene. "Never figured you for the souvenir type, princess."

"I'll let Sultan Betty decide what to do with him when we get back to the palace." The redhead shrugged. "We can't very well leave him here to cause more trouble."

Ron volunteered to drive the cart the next day, and Shego was more than happy to be able to put some more distance between herself and the buffoon. She'd rather spend time with Kim anyway.

"Hey Pumpkin?" She asked the shorter girl.

"Yeah, Shego?"

"When we camp tonight, you wanna spar some? You've got some nice moves, for a mortal."

"So, you can fight me now?" Kim asked her. "What about my wish?"

"I didn't say fight, I said spar. S-P-A-R. You know, practice?" Shego snickered. "We did good work there with golf boy. I wanna see just how good you are."

"Okay, you're on." Kim grinned back at her. "Tonight when we camp."

That evening, once they'd finished dinner, Kim and Shego walked a bit away from the camp and faced off against each other. Ron and Rufus stood to one side, the sandy blond frowning. "I don't think this is a good idea, KP."

"It's just practice, Ron." Kim reassured her friends.

"Yeah, relax, I won't bruise Cupcake too badly." She stretched, raising an eyebrow at the redhead. "Ready to lose, Princess?"

"Talk, talk, talk... you gonna do anything?" Kim took up her stance, inviting Shego to attack first.

The genie smiled ferally and sprung forward, knifing a hand at the redhead's side. Kim easily dodged the blow, sending a low kick towards Shego's ankles. She leaped over it, using the jump to launch her own kick aimed at Kim's head. The girl blocked it, twisting the blow to send the genie flying. She managed to right herself and land steadily on the sand, but Kim wasn't giving her the chance to fully recover.

The girl shot foward, knocking Shego onto the sand. She grabbed Kim's arm, dragging the redhead down with her as they tumbled to the sand. They were both breathing hard. For the first time she could remember, someone had gotten the better of her. Frustrated, she pushed Kim off her and glared at the girl. "Lucky move, Pumpkin. Let's see if you can do it again..."

* * *

Kim panted, wiping sweat from her brow. Night had long ago fallen, but Shego hadn't been satisfied with her first rematch, or even her fifth. Neither of them managed to pull off a clean win, and neither of them was willing to accept that. However, she needed some sleep, so this would be their last match for the night.

"You're not winning this, princess." The genie growled.

"Still standing, Shego." Kim smiled. "And by my count, I'm still ahead by one."

"The little stuff doesn't matter, only the last win counts." Shego punched towards her, and she tried to dodge. Unfortunately, their previous matches had taken their toll, and she wasn't quite fast enough. The blow clipped her shoulder, sending her spinning down to the sand. Before she could get back on her feet, Shego was leaping at her. She aimed a kick at the other girl, but the genie had the advantage and batted Kim's leg out of the way.

The green girl pinned her to the sand, a triumphant grin on her face. "Down and out, cupcake."

"That only means we're tied now." Kim stared up into Shego's emerald eyes. The genie was also short on breath, relaxing her grip on Kim's shoulders, but not getting up. Those green eyes were fixed on her. "Shego, wanna let me up now?" She tried to push the genie off her. "Shego?"

"Yeah, red?"

"Mind getting off me, please and thank you?" She shifted again.

"Ah... right, sorry." The green girl stood up, helping Kim to her feet. She dusted herself off, keeping an eye on the genie to make sure that she didn't try anything. "Where'dya learn to fight like that?"

"I picked up stuff here and there." Kim shrugged. "Put it all together into something that works for me."

"Well, you're pretty good, ya know? Not as good as me, of course, but still good." Shego smirked. "So, you up for losing to me again tomorrow night?"

"I didn't lose!" Kim complained. "We tied. Five and five."

"Maybe." The genie gloated. "But if this had been real, the only one that matters is the last one. And I won that."

She glared at the green skinned girl, but felt her frown slip into a smile. Win, lose or tie, sparring with Shego was fun. The genie was almost as good as she was, and she'd already learned a lot from tonight alone. If they could keep practicing together, she knew she'd get better and better.

Shego circled her arms, the green glow of her magic leaping up before fading and revealing two green and black towels. She tossed one to Kim before wiping the sweat off her forehead. The redhead froze for a second, then nodded her thanks to the genie. The green girl hadn't even made her use a wish or ask for it.

"Can I ask you something, Princess?"

"Yeah?" Kim looked over to the raven-haired girl.

"What are you gonna do with my lamp when you get back to the palace?" The genie looked unconcerned, like she didn't care, but Kim could hear the underlying tension in her voice.

"I should turn it over to the Sultan." Kim frowned. "But... I don't know. What do you want me to do with it, Shego?"

"You're asking me?" Shego's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, yes. It's your lamp, you should have a say in this."

"Doy!" The green girl laughed. "You really don't get the whole 'genie' thing, do ya? The master of the lamp is in charge, I just work here."

"That's not fair." Kim argued.

"Life's not fair." Shego shrugged. "I was just curious, y'know?"

* * *

 _Lipski tried not to flinch as the bag was ripped off his head. Light stabbed at his eyes, and he blinked them clear. He was outside of a large manor, one he recognized. Hope and fear warred inside him as he recognized the lord standing next to Gemini._

 _Jack Hench walked over, looking him up and down. "What's this, Gemini? A bonus, a hostage, what?"_

 _"Oh, I have a plan for dear Vizier Lipski." Gemini patted his shoulder with his gauntlet. "If he cooperates, he might even live through it..."_

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Yori enters the story._

* * *

 _A/N: There will be more backstory with Drakken, filling in the rest of his misadventures. Plus, more of the Kim Possible crew will be joining too!_


	3. Ch 3 - Genie versus Ninja

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 3 - Genie Versus Ninja

* * *

"Something's not right." Ron eyed the palace from the crest of the ridge. They were still about half a day's ride from it, but he was more than ready to be done with the trip. Between having to babysit Killigan who was still tied up in his miniature cart, to getting stuck with doing all the cooking since Kim and Shego would go off every evening and spar for hours, the return to the palace had been severely lacking in the fun department.

"You say that about every town, buffoon." Shego growled.

"And I've been right about it too." He shot back. "The last town had that Lord Smarty who was using the citizens as cheap labor to mass produce and ship as much stuff as he could. You'd think one place we go to would be normal and not be ruled by a crazy."

"Okay, then what's wrong with your precious palace?" The genie asked.

"I dunno, it's just a hunch." He admitted.

The genie snorted and moved up to stand next to Kim. Ron appreciated the space, but he really didn't like how the green girl seemed to monopolize Kim. She was always around his best friend, sparring with her or talking with her or just riding next to her. Hopefully when they got back to the palace, Kim could get rid of that lamp and Shego would be someone else's problem. Better yet, he'd get to see Yori again, even if his chances were pretty hopeless.

He returned his attention to the palace. Despite calling it a hunch, he knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't say what. "What am I missing, buddy?"

"Iunno." Rufus shrugged.

"Well, keep your eyes open. I don't care what the green meanie says, there's something wrong down there."

The naked molerat shot him a thumbs-up, and Ron kept studying the palace.

* * *

"What are we gonna say to the sultan about the vizier?" Ron asked her as they passed through the city gates.

"I dunno." Kim replied. "I mean, we still don't know what happened, just that he was in the cave too. He might have followed someone else."

"Yeah, but someone touched the treasure and got us buried, and I know it wasn't you or me." Her friend pointed out. "Kinna limits the suspect pool."

"It could have been a mistake." She said. "I just don't wanna accuse him without knowing what really happened."

"Fair enough." He turned away from her, peering down one of the alleys.

"Ron, what's bothering you?" She looked past him but didn't spot anything. "You've been acting twitchy ever since we got here."

"Look, Shego thinks I'm crazy, but I don't need you to as well. I _know_ something is wrong." He snapped. "Trust me, Kim. There's something going on here."

"Ron-" Before she could reassure her friend, she heard footsteps. Guards approached them, forming a loose ring around them. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, by order of the sultan, you are under arrest!" The sergeant leading the patrol ordered.

"What?!" Kim and Ron yelled together.

"Surrender!" The guard said.

"Uh, why? We kinda need some details here." The sandy blond asked.

"Get them!"

"Okay, I guess reasonable discussion is off the table." Kim got ready to fight. "I apologize ahead of time, but I can't let you arrest us until we get to the bottom of this."

* * *

Shego's plasma melted the shield of the guard in front of her, buying her some breathing room while he flailed about and tried to get the ruined shield off his arm. "Please tell me this isn't what you were expecting, cupcake."

"Not really." Kim elbowed a guard from behind, sending him stumbling right into Shego's kick. The genie sent a grin to the girl - they really did make a great team.

"So they're bad guys then?" She asked the redhead.

"Uh, let's go with 'temporarily on the wrong side' and work from there?" Kim hedged.

"I can work with that." Shego grinned as she turned back to the guards. "Okay, anyone who doesn't want to get a trip to dreamland, run now."

She advanced on the guards and was about take out the first one when a shadowy figure leaped from the rooftop, knocking her back. " _Yaaaaaaaaaah_!"

"What the...?" Shego shook herself, standing up. "Now what's going on?"

The black-clad girl snapped another kick her way, driving Shego back from where Kim and Ron fought. She blocked more blows from the girl, backing away even more. "Okay, not talking? Then I guess I'm gonna have to put you on the other team."

Shego's plasma glowed, and she swiped the flat of her hand at the intruder. Another plasma strike was dodged, but the girl managed to keep herself between Shego and Kim. "You are getting annoying, girl."

The girl reached into her belt, pulling out a small blade. It flashed towards Shego, and the genie knocked it away with a plasma-covered fist, her power protecting her from the weapon. "Right, moving from annoying to serious."

Shego let her fire flare brighter. Several swift kicks and punches finally got the girl to move from between her and Kim. She kept up the assault, driving the girl back towards a wall, trusting Kim and Ron to keep handling the guards. A grin crossed her face when the girl's shoulders bumped into the wall behind her. A swipe to the torso sent the girl to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Done here Princess, you two almost finished with your playmates?" She leaned against the wall, watching Kim drop the last guard she was engaged with before turning to help Ron finish off the two guards that were pressing him.

"Any idea what this was all about?" Shego asked Kim.

"No clue. I can't figure why Sultan Betty would want us arrested." Kim shrugged. She looked to where the black-clad girl lay on the ground at Shego's feet. "What's her sitch?"

"Dunno. I was about to take out one of these guys when she attacked me. Crazy chick kept trying to get between us."

"Well, I'm glad you handled it. We need someone to ask about what's happened here." Kim leaned down and sat the girl up against the wall. She peeled the mask off her face.

"Yori?!" "Princess Yori?!" Kim and Ron shouted together.

* * *

"Okay, one of you needs to start explaining. Starting with, who is Yori, how do you know her, and why did she attack us?" Kim wilted under Shego's glare. "Oh and probably the most important, why didn't you think to mention any of this to me before now?"

"Yori is the sultan's adopted daughter, but I had no idea the sultan was training her like this." She looked over to where Ron was helping Yori up. He handed her his canteen, then set to work bandaging a gash on her arm.

"If she's with the sultan, why'd she attack us? Is she secretly evil or something?"

"She's not evil!" Ron glared at the genie, holding Yori closer as if to shield her.

"Chill, loverboy, just trying to figure out why your girlfriend pitched in on team bad guy."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Uh huh... anyway," Shego pointedly turned to face Kim. "So, she's the adopted daughter of the sultan, go on."

"Sultan Betty always said she was grooming Yori to take her place, she never mentioned combat training." Kim continued. "And I'm sorry I didn't mention her before, I really had no idea this would happen. And I really don't know why she'd attack us."

"I... I was trying to protect you, Possible-san." Yori coughed. "I thought this dishonorable green one had led you into the trap."

"Dishonorable-" Shego's fire surrounded her fists and Kim had to hastily jump between the two.

"Shego, not helping right now!" She bowed an apology to Yori. "Sorry Highness, go on."

"Mother sent me out from the castle to protect me. I have been searching for allies to help rescue her, but I have not had much luck. Gemini has taken over most of the city."

"Gemini?" She frowned. "How'd he pull off something like this?"

"The most dishonorable Jack Hench lent him the majority of his army, and Vizier Lipski opened the secret ways into the palace for them."

"Oh snap." Kim shared a worried glance with Ron. "I guess we know where he went after the cave collapsed."

"Yeah, getting busy selling us out." Ron fumed.

"After they had control of the palace, Gemini replaced most of the guards with ones loyal to himself. He also took hostages from most of the noble families in the city, and is holding them to guarantee their cooperation."

"Our families too?" She asked.

"Hai, I am sorry, Possible-san. Your father was taken at his job. Your father as well, Stoppable-san." Yori shook her head sadly.

"We gotta get them out... Hey, what about her? Can she do something about this?" Ron hooked a thumb at Shego.

The genie held out her hands in a 'stop' gesture. "Whoa... first of all, you're not the master of the lamp, Kim is. And second, even I have my limits. I can't just magic away an army or stuff like that. I might be able get one or two out, but that's it."

"Lamp?" Yori peered at Shego, confused.

"Yeah, I'm a genie, I work for her at the moment." Shego hooked a thumb Kim's way.

"Then what are we going to do?" Ron asked.

"I dunno-" Kim started to say when more boots sounded on the pavement.

" _There they are!_ " A voice called.

"Henches!" Ron cursed as dozens of goons ran towards them. He took position in front of Yori, who tried to stand but was still too unsteady.

"Ron, you gotta get her out of here! We can't let Gemini get his hands on her! Shego, help him!"

"But KP!"

"I'll cover you. Oh, also..." She tossed the lamp to her best friend. "Can't let him get this, either."

"Kim!"

"Go, Ron!"

* * *

Ron stuffed the lamp in his pack and grabbed Yori's hand, dragging her along with him. He hated leaving Kim behind, but his friend was right. If Gemini got his hands on the princess, he'd have the perfect hostage to use against the sultan. Besides, Kim could handle herself. Kim could do anything, after all.

The sounds of fighting gradually faded into the distance. Ron ducked into an abandoned house, carefully closing the door behind them. Yori peeked out through the window, making a 'quiet' gesture. They all held still, listening as the Henches ran down the street, passing by the building they were hiding in.

"Well, this tanks. Any sign of KP?" He asked the princess.

Yori shook her head sadly. "I am sorry, Stoppable-san. I do not see her at all."

"We gotta go back for her, then."

"Great, where do you want to start looking? Or should we ask one of those nice goons to help us out?" Shego frowned. "I know you might strain something, but try thinking for once."

"Then why don't _you_ find her?" He glared right back.

"I can't right now, not without a wish."

"Convenient excuse. If Kim could make a wish, she'd be here with us and we wouldn't need to find her." Ron snapped.

"Not her, you."

"Uh, what?" He froze.

"You have the lamp now, buffoon. Oh, and just so we're clear up front, that means only three wishes, _capishe_? No wishing for more, no tricking me. Three. Ask the molerat to help you if you have trouble counting that high."

Yori looked from him to her and back, concerned. "Stoppable-san, we need to save Possible-san and my mother before it is too late."

"Yeah, I know." He took a deep breath. "Okay, if you say you can't just magic away a whole army, can we at least do something to find Kim?" Shego nodded to him. "Then that's what we'll do. Shego, I wish you could locate Kim Possible for us."

"Granted." The genie ground out.

Ron stared at her suspiciously. "Well, where is she?"

"That way." The green girl held out a finger in the direction of the palace.

"Is she okay? Captured? What?"

"I don't know." The genie scowled at him, a murderous glint in her eyes. "I just know that she's that way."

"But that's..."

"Exactly what you wished for, you idiot. You wished that _**I**_ could locate her. So now I can. It's like a goddamn lighthouse in my brain. Kimmie is that way, and that's all I can tell you."

"Stoppable-san." Yori rested her hand on Ron's arm. "It will work out. We can find her now, and it would be my honor to aid in rescuing Possible-san. I am sure the three of us working together can save her and my mother."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go find Kim." Inwardly, Ron cursed himself. He'd had a perfect chance to do something right, to really help Yori and impress her, but instead all he'd shown was that he was still a pathetic sidekick.

* * *

"In there." Shego's finger pointed right at the second floor of the palace. In her mind, Kim's presence blazed like a bonfire. Of course the buffoon had to wish that _she_ was the one who could do this. And since genie magic liked to be tricky, she was now stuck like this for the foreseeable future.

"You sure?" The sandy haired boy asked.

"Thanks to your stupid wish, very sure." She growled.

"That... is a lot of Henches." Stoppable was counting the ranks of goons manning the walls of the palace. "If KP were here..."

"If Cupcake was here, she'd rescue herself in no time." She replied sarcastically. Why did that girl have to give her lamp to him, of all people?

"We could try one of the back entrances." Yori suggested.

"Can't hurt to take a look." Ron agreed.

Unfortunately, the other entrances were also heavily guarded. It seemed like Jack Hench had provided even more goons than Yori had been able to count when she'd escaped the palace. The three pulled back and headed to the nearby market, so they could get some food and make a plan.

"I guess I could wish us up a secret passage or something." Ron mused.

"Yeah, cause your first wish worked so well." Shego snorted. "Oh, and by the way, she's now on the third floor, if that matters."

"Shego-san, is there any kind of genie magic that does not involve wishes that might aid us?" Yori asked her.

"Sorry, kid. I have my plasma and the whole 'impressive smoke entrance' thing, and that's about it. Pretty much anything else takes a wish."

"Impressive smoke entrance..." Ron's eyes drifted off towards the palace. "I think I might have an idea..."

"Gee, and I was just wondering how today could get any worse."

* * *

"Stoppable-san, are you sure this will work?" Yori asked from the shadows as they snuck close to the base of the wall.

"No, but it's all I could come up with in such a short time." He shot her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Besides, with you helping, I'm sure we'll pull it off."

The two of them focused on the gate, waiting for their cue. Soon enough, a cloud of ominous black smoke began to pool in the middle of the square in front of the main gate. Swirls of green wormed their way through the black. Two points of bright emerald light speared out from the cloud, and a figure took shape. Green fire surrounded her body, illuminating the square with an eerie glow.

" **Flee..."**

 **"Flee or suffer the wrath of the great genie Shego!"**

Ron nodded to Yori and the two tossed their lines up the wall. They started to climb, taking care to go slow and keep quiet. They could see the Henches nervously backing away from the genie. Some had already dropped their weapons and fled, and the rest looked like they weren't too far behind.

" **Those who stay will burn for eternity!** "

Yori leaped up on the wall, silencing a nearby sentry with a well placed strike. Ron followed her, retrieving their ropes. The teens worked their way to the gate, taking down the guards inside before they could sound an alarm. They took position by the gate controls, waiting for the Henches outside to run.

" **Burn!** " A line of green fire slowly crawled towards the shaking Henches. Even the bravest of them fled as it clawed its way towards them. When the last Hench had run, Ron started working the winch to open the gate.

Once the gate was open, Shego joined them inside. "I'll admit, this idea isn't as dumb as it sounded when you told it to us, buffoon."

"Yes, this plan worked very well, Stoppable-san." Ron melted a little at the grateful smile Yori sent his way.

"Yeah, well, they're not gonna stay scared forever, so let's get going." He turned to the genie. "Which way is Kim?"

Shego pointed. "Still on the third floor."

"Let's do this then." The trio dashed across the courtyard to the palace itself. A pair of Henches tried to stop them, but Yori and Ron took them down efficiently. They made their way through the halls to the stairs. At the top, they paused again for Shego to fix on Kim's location once more.

Ron led the way through the palace, when a fist flashed through a doorway, clipping him in the jaw...

* * *

 _Drew Lipski opened the side gate, keeping a wary eye on the two large Henches accompanying him. Jack Hench and Gemini made it perfectly clear that if he tried to betray them, these men would kill him before he could complete the act. He'd already dismissed the guards from the gate, so it was simple for him to unbar it from this side._

 _The rest of the Henches poured through the gate, efficiently fanning out throughout the palace. Drew followed along, his 'bodyguards' right on his heels. Jack Hench gave him a mocking bow of thanks when he rejoined the lord. They could see Gemini, his golden glove easily spotted in the light of the torches, already securing the throne room. "Bring my sister to me alive!"_

 _Hench nodded to his soldiers before pulling one of the lieutenants to the side to speak to him privately. "Pass the word to the rest of the men that you are not to try too hard on that last part."_

 _"But-" Drew tried to speak up, but Hench silenced him with a glare._

 _"I'm sorry Vizier, did you say something?"_

 _"No, Lord Hench." He replied quietly._

 _"Just remember, Gemini might have found you, but MY men are the only reason he is in control here. I'm sure you would agree that it's best if he's not burdened with too much information while the situation is in flux." Hench's stare pinned im him place. "I would be most displeased with anyone who tried to change that. Do you understand?"_

 _"I understand, Lord Hench." He gulped._

 _"Excellent." Hench flashed him a predatory smile. "Just remember, Lipski. I may not be here, but my eyes will be on you."_

* * *

"Owww, KP, didja have to hit me so hard?" Ron cupped the side of his face, massaging the injured area.

"I'm so sorry, Ron. I heard you guys coming and I thought you were more Henches." Kim helped her best friend back to his feet.

"Why were you hiding here? Why didn't you try to find us after the fight? And what happened to you anyway?"

"I meant to, really. But after I escaped the trap, I followed some of the Henches back to the palace, and I was snooping around, and... well, I found something I wasn't expecting." Kim gestured towards the door she came out of.

"Stoppable, Yori, good to see you." Kim could see the shock on Ron's face as Sultan Betty walked through the doorway.

"Sultan." "Mother!" Ron gasped while Yori ran past him to hug her stepmother. The Sultan winced a little, cradling her arm in its sling as she returned the hug.

"I ran into her just when a second group of Henches was about to corner her, and I've been helping her stay one step ahead of them ever since." Kim continued her story. "We've been waiting for a break so we could get free, but there are too many Henches on the grounds right now. They keep trying to find us, but they're also having to keep it pretty quiet so word doesn't get out that they don't have the Sultan."

"Hey Cupcake, good to see you unhurt. Who's the cyclops?" Shego joined them in the room.

"Shego, show some respect! That's the sultan!" Kim hissed.

"And I care why exactly?"

"Shego!"

"Fine, whatever. Nice to meet you, your Sultan-ness. I'm Shego, genie of the lamp." The green girl matched the Sultan's glare.

"A genie. Really." The sultan's eye narrowed. "So you're what my ancestor hid in that cave."

"He hid the lamp there, yeah, but not me. I only just started working there a few centuries ago."

" _Here! I found the sultan and Possible!_ " They turned to spot a Hench yelling down the stairway.

"Game time." Shego grinned savagely. "You wanna lead this dance with me, pumpkin?"

"Let's do it." Kim leaped forward, taking up her battle stance next to Shego. "Ron, Yori, get the Sultan out of here."

* * *

"Man, this is nuts. Who'da thought we'd be the ones trying to fight our way out of the palace?" Ron punched one of the Henches.

"Less talking, more fighting, Mr Stoppable." The sultan elbowed a Hench that tried to grab her good arm.

"Right, sorry Sultan, ooofff..." Two of the Henches tackled him and were about to knock him out when Yori kicked them in the side, sending them flying off him. She hit a third one who tried to get them from behind, and Ron leaped to his feet.

He set his rope at one of the nearby windows and helped Sultan Betty down it, trying to keep her from further injuring her arm. Yori followed, and together they made their way to the outer wall and over it. A few moments later, Kim vaulted over the wall too, landing lightly on her feet. They sped down the alleys, putting as much distance between themselves at the palace as they could.

"That should be far enough." Kim panted as they rested behind a store that had closed for the day.

"Yeah, we can find somewhere to lay low and plan our next move." Ron added, looking around. He frowned. "Hey, KP, where's Shego?"

"I thought she was with you. We got separated in the fighting, and I thought she went ahead to help out." Kim peered back towards the palace, but couldn't spot anyone moving.

"Last I saw, she was back with you."

"Well, use the lamp then, call her here."

Ron set his pack on the ground and rummaged through it. He paled. "Kim, it must have fallen out when those Henches grabbed me. I lost the lamp!"

* * *

Drew Lipski waited until his minders made sure that the third floor of the palace was clear. He followed them into the room, looking around for any clue that might help him determine where the Sultan had fled to. He knew that the longer she remained missing, the less value he was to Gemini and Hench.

He was about to give up, when he spotted something that didn't belong. Frowning, he bent over to pick up the old brass lamp lying toppled on the ground...

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Drakken!_

* * *

 _A/N: Of course Drakken was going to get his hands on the lamp at some point. I have plans for just how wrong his wishes are going to go!_

 _As for the scene at the castle gates, any similarity to the Princess Bride is... probably intentional on my part =) I hadn't planned to go there with it, but I needed to get them in the palace without Ron using a wish (I have plans for his last 2), and once I started writing it, it just sorta popped in my head._


	4. Ch 4 - Crouching Poodle, Hidden Drakken

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 4 - Crouching Poodle, Hidden Drakken

Drew Lipski sat down in the chair in his office, glad to be free of his minders for a while. Fortunately for him, Gemini was focused on finding his sister, as well as whatever Hench had betrayed them and let her escape. He'd been told to wait in his office until the new 'Sultan' was ready for him.

He pulled out the old brass lamp, setting down on the table in front of himself. It was the one thing in the room that hadn't belonged, and while he wasn't sure why it'd been there, he didn't want to say anything to Hench or Gemini until he could learn more about it. He needed something, anything to get himself out from under their control.

Admittedly, an old lamp was hardly something to bet his life on, but given his other options, he was willing to give it a chance. He turned it, examining it in the light streaming in through the window. There was no clue as to who had dropped it, but he guessed it had probably been Possible or her idiot sidekick. Maybe it would let him know where they were hiding, or at least where they had used to plan their break in.

He absently rubbed the lamp as he watched the Henches swarming around the palace grounds. It was only when the lamp started shaking that he noticed the smoke gathering in the room. "What the... ?"

"Who are you?" A green skinned woman stepped out of the smoke, glaring at him. "You with the buffoon?"

"Buffoon?" He asked, confused. Who was this woman and where had she come from?

"Right, different teams, but clearly the same brainpower." She sighed. "Okay, let's make this fast. I'm Shego, genie of the lamp. You, the idiot holding it, get three wishes, no wishing for more or anything like that, okay?"

"Uh, genie?"

"Yes, a genie." The green girl answered, exasperated. "Do you understand?"

"Yes..." Lipski's thoughts slowly recovered from his surprise. "So you grant wishes-"

" _Three_ wishes." The genie emphasized.

"-Three wishes." He repeated. "Any wish I want?"

"There's limits, but yeah, you can wish for a lot." She stared at him. "So yeah, that's the situation."

Lipski felt a smile growing on his face. It seemed that maybe his luck was changing after all. "Okay, I'm tired of being used and walked all over, so first, I wish that people would recognize my true greatness."

"Granted!" The genie's lips twitched up into a smile.

Lipski waited, but didn't feel any different. "Well?"

"Trust me, the wish worked." He really didn't like the smirk on Shego's face.

"Hmmmph..." He fixed his gaze on her. "I guess we'll see."

"Oh yeah, everyone will see." The genie snorted out a laugh.

* * *

"How could you lose the lamp?" Kim yelled.

"Well maybe you should have kept it yourself if you were so worried about it!" Ron growled back. "You just tossed it at me and ran off to go fight."

"Okay, this is bad. Really bad." Kim paced.

"Miss Possible, if we could focus on the more pressing issue of my brother and his attempted coup." Sultan Betty interrupted their argument. "We cannot allow him to hold the palace for much longer."

"Sorry, Majesty, I'm worried what might happen if one of them finds the lamp." Kim apologized. _I'm also worried about Shego. What will they do when they find out she's a genie?_

"The only way to get it back is to get back into the palace, and we need to reclaim it anyway, so let's concentrate on that for the moment. Once we're back in control, we can look for the lamp." The sultan sketched a quick map on a scrap of parchment. "Now tell me, how did you get past the guards the first time?"

"I just followed some of the guards and slipped in behind them while they were busy getting regrouped." Kim shrugged. "It was pretty close at times, though. Not sure we could all get in that way." She looked to Ron and Yori.

"We... Shego created a distraction for us at the front gate, and we used it to knock out the guards on the wall and slip in that way." He frowned. "I guess we can't do that now."

"What did she do?" Kim asked him.

"Oh, we had her do her smoke-fire-genie entrance. It sent them running."

"Smoke and fire..." Kim stared off into the distance. "Sultan, I think I might be able to get us through one of the gates."

"What's your plan, Miss Possible?" Sultan Betty focused on her.

"Ron, where did you leave that cart we used to bring Killigan here?"

* * *

"You turned me _blue?!_ " Lipski screamed at her. "I didn't wish for this."

"Sure ya did." Shego did her best to ignore his tantrum. "You wanted people to recognize your greatness, well now they will every time they look at you."

"But... this isn't what I wanted!"

"Hello, genie here. It's sorta my job to mess up your wishes if I can." The green girl sighed. This guy was seriously getting on her nerves. He was hopelessly pathetic, pretty much the complete opposite of Kim, and he wasn't even that much fun to tease, as unlike Ron he missed most of her insults. Not to mention, he kept ranting about how he'd make her and everyone else pay for all the wrongs done to him.

"That's not fair!"

"So?" She turned her attention to cleaning her nails. Maybe he'd get the hint...

"Lord Drakken?" One of the Henches stuck his head through the doorway, bowing to the blue idiot. "Do you have time to help with the search?"

"And who is this Lord Drakken they keep asking for? It's getting hard to have a proper conversation with these interruptions." He fumed as he shooed the Hench back out the doorway.

"That's you. New skin tone, new name, new title. Congratulations." Shego hoped that maybe the next time one of the Henches checked on them, the moron would go bother him and leave her alone.

"You changed my name too?" Drakken gaped. "You... I... _Gah!_ "

She continued to work on her nails. Sooner or later this idiot had to find something else to obsess over...

* * *

"...I think the postern gate would be our best target." Sultan Betty pointed to the spot on her map. "It gives us the shortest distance from the walls to the palace itself."

"Okay then, we'll go there. Ron and I will cover you and Yori while you place the bombs on the door hinges." Kim traced her finger to a nearby alley. "We pull back here and wait for them to go off, then rush in."

Betty nodded. "After last time, they'll be looking at any loud noise like this as a diversion for something else. They won't expect us to simply rush them like this."

"So then once we're inside-"

"Sheldon will be in the throne room. If we take him out, we'll pretty much win. Jack Hench won't stick around a lost cause, so he'll pull his troops back and leave my brother here while he escapes." The sultan continued. "After that, we can take our time, find the lamp and deal with Lipski and the other traitors. Any questions?" She looked at the three teens, but none of them had any. "Good. We'll go when they rotate the guards this evening."

The afternoon dragged on, time crawling by while Kim and Ron waited for nightfall. "Ron, what's wrong? I thought you'd be happy to be on a mission with Yori."

"I thought so too, but I really screwed up. I mean, we lost you in that first fight, then I messed up with my wish, and I finished up by losing the lamp." He sighed. "I blew my chance with her, I just know it."

"Don't think like that. This whole sitch has been crazy, and you did the best you could. You got us out of the palace. They were slowly closing in, and if you hadn't managed to get to us when you did, they'd have captured her mom and me. It might not have been perfect, but it worked. We'll get the palace and the lamp back."

"I guess..." He frowned.

"Look, you said you came up with the idea for the distraction at the gates the first time. You'll do fine this time." Kim patted his shoulder.

"Thanks, KP. I guess I always feel like I'm still five whenever we have to get briefed by the Sultan personally."

"Yeah, she can get scary." She agreed.

* * *

"Shego!" The blue idiot's voice grated on her hearing.

"What do you want, Drakken?" She growled.

"I need your help." He paced around the room, and Shego prepared to go back to her reading. Hopefully he'd start another rant about whatever trivial annoyance was currently bothering him, and she could safely tune him out.

"Did Hench refuse to schedule a karaoke night?" She asked. That had been his latest complaint.

"No! They're deliberately mocking me!" He held out a jar.

"Pickles? Seriously, you're bothering me about a jar of pickles."

"They must have glued it shut to spite me." He tried to open it, but his fingers just slid off the edge of the lid.

"Seriously, Hench and Gemini are currently trying to consolidate their control of this country and you think they'd waste time glueing your pickle jar closed?" Shego sighed. "Don't try to pry it up like that, just twist it and pop it off."

"You think I can't open a jar of pickles?"

"Doy, yes." She watched the blue idiot try yet again, this time twisting the top the wrong way.

"It's not working!" Drakken fumed.

"Well yeah, you're not doing it right." Shego picked the scroll back up and resumed her reading. Watching him had been mildly entertaining at first, but now it was just sad.

His face turned an amusing shade of purple as a wordless growl escaped him. He set the jar on the table in front of her with a loud thump. "Then I wish I could see you do better!" He yelled.

"Granted." She spoke the word before her brain had time to register it, her genie magic automatically responding to his wish. _Did he really just wasted one on a stupid temper tantrum?_ She picked up the jar and gave the top a gentle twist, easily pulling it off. At this rate, he'd burn through his wishes in no time, and she'd be done with him. Hopefully Princess would get the lamp back, but even the buffoon would be preferable to Drakken. "There, wish complete."

"That - That doesn't count!" He glared.

"Uh, let's see. You used the words 'I wish', I granted it, so yeah, you're down to one."

"But I loosened it for you!"

* * *

The explosion shook them even in the cover of the nearby building. Kim, Ron and Yori dashed out after it settled, Sultan Betty following them a short distance behind her. The only two Henches still by the gate were easily taken down, and the four ran on to the main building. One of the brighter Henches had stayed behind and tried to bar the door, but he stood no chance against the teens.

They easily made their way through the palace, Yori and Betty leading them along lesser used passages. When they were in one of the servant's corridors next to the throne room, they regrouped and prepared to head in.

Yori tossed in a smoke bomb, and the three fighters leaped in, clearing the first group of Henches quickly. Kim pressed on, launching a kick at one goon before jumping over a sword swing from a second. She used her momentum to knock the man back into his companions, sending several of them crashing to the floor.

Kim paused, taking advantage of the break in the fight to scan the room. She could see more Henches pouring in from the other areas of the palace, and near the throne, Gemini, his golden glove glinting in the light. Once she had a fix on him, she worked her way over to Ron, helping him take down the last two Henches he was facing. "Ron, I spotted Gemini, let's go!"

"I'm with ya!" The sandy blond fell into position beside her, and the two began a careful advance towards the throne.

Another line of Henches fell into line, blocking their path. Kim and Ron fought their way through them, while Yori and the sultan brought up the rear. "Guards!" Gemini roared, and his personal guards lunged forward to protect him from them.

"Really, Sheldon?" Betty met her brother's gaze. "You think this is going to work out any better for you than your other plans have? And how could you hand our kingdom over to Jack Hench, of all people?"

"You're not in charge anymore Betty, I am!" He sneered. "And Hench serves me!"

"Then why are all the guards his? You have your personal bodyguards, but the rest are his men. Do you really think he's going to not betray you once things have settled down here?"

"I paid him well." Gemini retorted. "We both know he's very loyal to money."

"Hench is only loyal to Hench. He's wanted a kingdom of his own for a long time, you know that." Betty kept inching closer to her brother while they talked, and Kim did the same. With the two leaders busy with each other, the Henches and other guards had pulled back, clearly waiting for a signal to attack.

"Well, he won't take MY kingdom." Gemini glared. "And neither will you! Father should never have left you in charge! Guards, get them!"

With a roar, the massed Henches broke ranks and attacked. The royal guards were more disciplined, holding their formation as they advanced on the four heroes. The three teens held off the majority of them, while the sultan was easily able to take down any that slipped by in the chaos. When the four of them had finished off the Henches and started on the guards, Gemini turned to flee.

"Kim, get Sheldon! We can't let him escape!" Betty called to her.

"On it!" Kim sprinted towards the guards, using the shield of the closest one to vault over them, landing on the raised platform the throne rested on. She dashed on, catching the door Gemini used before he could lock it behind him. The lord tried to punch her, but she easily dodged the clumsy hit. She launched her own attack, though Gemini was able to use his gauntlet to shield himself from the worst of the damage. He kicked out, knocking over a nearby lamp to the ground and starting a fire on the carpets.

Kim leaped back, quickly scanning for a way around the fire. She hopped to the window, swinging through it and grabbing onto the edge of the wall. She climbed along the ledge to the next window and kicked it in so she could pursue the lord.

As she continued down the hallway, she heard raised voices from the room at the end.

"... and now Possible and her team are here. They'll arrest you too if you don't do something!" Gemini's voice carried from the room.

"So... it takes this for you to realise my true worth?" She recognized Vizier Lipski's voice - apparently Yori had been right when she'd relayed how the man had betrayed them. "Very well, I think I can do that."

Kim shoved the door all the way open. "Hold it, you two aren't getting away with... Vizier, why are you blue?"

"Kim Possible!" The blue man growled. He turned towards the side of the room. "You still serve me, right? Well, do your job and defend me!"

Kim angled herself so she could still watch the lords while also facing whoever was in the corner of the room. A familiar green glow lit the edge, and Shego strode forward, her plasma surrounding her fists. "Sorry, princess."

"Shego, why are you with them?" Kim gasped. From the corner of her eye, she could see the two lords using the distraction to run through the other door.

"I hafta protect the master of the lamp, genie rules and all." The green girl took up her fighting stance. "Guess we're on different teams for this one, cupcake." She lunged forward, her plasma-coated hands knifing in towards Kim's side...

* * *

Ron and Yori had managed to take down about half the royal guards, but he could feel himself getting tired and knew that he had to find a way to end the fight soon. The Henches hadn't been that difficult to defeat, but the royal guards were another matter. It seemed that Gemini trained his in a similar fashion to his sister, as they worked together well and didn't take foolish chances like the Henches.

"Not good." He muttered. He turned to Yori. "We gotta take some more out or they're gonna overwhelm us."

"Hai, Stoppable-san." The ninja pulled out another smoke bomb and tossed it at their feet. He was momentarily blinded himself, but Yori grabbed his hand and pulled him clear of it. A second smoke pellet aimed at the guards left them coughing and distracted. Ron and Yori managed to take out three of them before the rest recovered. The two teens jumped back into the smoke and circled to the other side to do it again.

" - _you idiot! I thought you said you could take care of Possible once and for all. We're ju_ st running away from her while your weird gre _en_ _girl fights her_!" He could hear Gemini yelling at someone from one of the halls as he made his way through the smoke.

Ron tapped Yori's shoulder and whispered to her. "I think I may have found Gemini, can you handle the last two while I grab him?"

"Of course." The princess nodded. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing briefly. "Be careful, if they are running, they will be desperate."

"I..." Ron blushed. "Thanks."

He pushed the nearby door open and ran down the hallway. He couldn't hear the voices anymore, but he thought he remembered what direction they had come from. Taking his best guess, he turned right and headed into the room.

Gemini was there, talking with Vizier Lipski. Ron leaped in, taking a fighting stance while Rufus did the same. He prepared... "Dude, why are you blue?"

"Why does everyone insist on asking me that?" The vizier fumed.

"Uh, because you're blue?" He repeated.

"Drakken, stop delaying, do something about this!" Gemini glared at his companion.

"Don't rush me, Gemini." The blue man reached in his pocket and pulled out a familiar lamp and rubbed it. "Shego, I need you..."

* * *

"I thought you couldn't hurt me, the wish and all." Kim said to her as she launched a kick of her own.

Shego dodged out of the way and sent another plasma punch towards the redhead. "Yeah, well, defending the master of the lamp takes priority, sorry. Even if he is a total idiot."

"Shego... come on, you know this isn't right."

Shego sighed. "Yeah, this guy is a real moron. I owe the buffoon an apology when I'm done here. But I'm a genie, so... rules and all."

Kim leaped over her kick and hopped back a bit. "I don't mind sparring with you, but this feels wrong somehow. These guys are taking over our country."

"I don't like it either, but this is how it works." She lashed out again at the redhead. "This isn't really how I'd rather do this myself, cupcake."

"Please, Shego." The other girl swung at her halfheartedly.

"I can't, I..." Shego shivered as she felt her lamp being rubbed. "Oh snap..."

The world faded out and then back in. She found herself standing in front of Drakken and Gemini in a smaller room, with the buffoon standing across from them. The blue idiot held out the lamp and pointed at Ron. "Genie, I wish I had something to take care of him and his friends!"

"Granted!" She responded, her magic reacting to his third and final wish.

' _yip, yip, yip, yip!_ " A small dog leaped out from the shadows, nipping at Ron's feet. Shego's heart sank as she recognized that poodle. Why did her magic have to conjure _that_ , of all things?

"Ohhhhhkay... I was expecting something more..." Ron struggled to find the right word.

"...Fierce." Drakken turned to her. "You screwed up my wish! Again!"

"Doy, no I didn't!" Shego backed away from the dog, keeping her eyes on it. "Trust me, this is gonna be bad..."

"Is it... growing?" Ron had followed Shego's lead and backed off from the dog.

"Yeah, that's Commodore Puddles. Long ago, someone wished up that thing, wanting a destroyer that could also shrink to a more manageable size when needed." She winced as the dog's shoulder hit the roof, buckling it as the dog kept growing. "We might wanna run..."

"Not without your lamp!" The sandy haired boy charged at Drakken, slipping by the paw of the massive poodle. He tackled the vizier, knocking the lamp out of his hands. Leaving the lord on the floor, he grabbed the lamp and ran back to her. "There, got it!"

"Nice one, buf - Ron." She ran with him as the poodle kept growing and growing. "So where are we going?"

"Away from that dog." They dodged around falling chunks of the ceiling. "How big is it gonna get anyway?"

"Really big."

He frowned. "Snap."

* * *

"Yori, go after Stoppable. I don't like the way the palace is shaking." Her stepmother sat down on her throne. "Find him or Possible. If they haven't caught my brother by now, he's gone and we need to finish this up."

"Hai, mother." The ninja sprinted towards where she she last saw Ron running. She had to avoid several pieces of ceiling, but with her training, she had little trouble making her way through the halls. A loud crack shook the palace, and several men stumbled out of the room. Yori dropped into her fighting stance when she recognized Gemini's golden glove.

"Oh perfect, my mother's little pet project." The lord sneered. "It seems I might be able to salvage this after all."

"I would suggest surrender. Your sister would be merciful, I am sure." The ninja cautiously advanced on him.

"And here I was planning on accepting yours." He made a fist at her with his glove.

"I would never dishonor myself by considering it."

"Pity." His hand opened and a jolt of energy caught her. She gasped and writhed on the floor. "Still, even an unconscious hostage will serve my purposes."

"How...?" Her vision started to fade.

"I have many friends that want to see your 'stepmother' fail. Resources with special talents and magic of their own." He bound her hands. "I'll leave ' _lord Drakken_ ' to keep her busy for now, and when she's calmed down, I can discuss matters with her. She may have won this round, but now that I have you, she'll lose the war..."

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Dealing with the monster poodle, plus Wade enters the picture._


	5. Ch 5 - Monkey Mayhem

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 5 - Monkey Mayhem

Kim slid through the doorway, narrowly avoiding a section of wall that fell over. She ignored the few Henches she saw fleeing the devastation, concentrating on finding Ron or the Sultan and Yori. She wasn't sure what was causing the palace to shake apart like this, but she had an idea of who was behind it. _Though I'm not sure who screwed up their wish for this one_...

A familiar green skinned girl stumbled from the a nearby room, tugging another person with her. When the dust settled, she smiled in relief to see it was Ron. She ran over to the two. "Ron, Shego! I take it you got the lamp back?"

"Yeah, but Lipski made some wishes before I got it back, and now, uh, well how do I say it...?" Her best friend glanced worriedly back the way he'd come from.

"His wish got him a monster poodle." Shego sighed, shaking her head.

"A poodle." Kim frowned. "You mean 'poodle' as in dog?"

"Got it in one, cupcake."

"But that's impossible." She argued. "Poodles are really small."

"Yeah well, genie here, so he got the exception. This one grows to be huge." Shego replied. "And yeah, he didn't wish for this specifically, but he just asked for something to help him deal with his enemies."

"So what are-" She began.

"Possible, Stoppable." The Sultan entered the hall as well. "The whole building is coming down, we need to get out... Wait, where's Yori?"

"The Princess?" Kim looked around. "I thought she was with you."

"I sent her to find you two." Betty glared. "You haven't seen her?"

"Not since I left the throne room." Kim said, and Ron nodded agreement.

"Let's get out of here." The sultan led the way. "She's smart, she'll find her own way out before the palace collapses. She'll be at one of our rendesvouz points."

"But..." Ron protested.

"Ron, you can't do anything for her if you're crushed!" Kim had to grab her friend's arm. "The sultan's right, we need to go now!"

"I can't leave her here!" Ron shook free of Kim's grip and took off down the hall the way he'd come from.

"Ron!" "Stoppable!" Kim and Betty yelled. Kim looked to the sultan, who shook her head.

"It's fine, cupcake, I'll protect him." Shego trotted off the way the blonde boy had gone.

Kim would had followed, but another piece of the ceiling broke free, crashing down on Sultan Betty. The older woman yelped and tried to pull free, but the debris pinned her leg to the floor. Kim hurried over and tried to shift it off her, but she couldn't lift it on her own. She looked around and found a board large enough. She wedged it under the rock and started to lever it off Betty's leg. Another chunk of rock slammed into the floor nearby and the sultan hissed in pain as it jarred her leg. "Hurry, Possible."

Kim gave up trying to be careful and pryed it the rest of the way up. The sultan crawled back, pulling herself out from under the rock. Kim helped her up, and the two of them limped towards the nearest exit from the palace.

* * *

"Yo, buffoon, I told pumpkin that I'd keep ya safe, so I hope you have a plan." Shego asked him as he ran. "You better not be lying to me."

"Not really, I sorta figured you could help me think of one as we go." Ron glanced in each room they passed, scanning them to make sure Yori wasn't in there. "I just know something went wrong. She always completes any orders her mother gives her, so she wouldn't have left until she found us. Either she's here and hurt, or one of them grabbed her."

"Fine, but staying here means we'll have to deal with Commodore Puddles if we want to do anything." The genie pointed out.

"Yeah, stopping giant monsters is usually more Kim's area." He agreed, and Rufus nodded too. "We're kinda out of our league on this one. I was sorta hoping I could find her quick and get her out of here fast."

"So run quick and hope?" The green girl sighed. "Sadly still better than Drakken."

"Drakken?" Ron asked as he checkd the next room. "Who's that?"

"Vizier Lipski. One of his wishes didn't really work out like he planned."

"Ah." He exited and moved to another doorway. He opened it, but slammed it closed right away when he saw a massive furry leg on the other side. "Okay, poodle is in there. Guess we've gotta deal with it now. Any ideas?"

"I could try to fry it." The genie shrugged. "But it might just make him mad. And if he focuses on me, I won't be able to do much aside from protect myself."

"Yeah, if only there were two of you or something."

"You can't wish for more wishes or more genies, sorry."

"I know..." Ron thought as the poodle stomped around, the impacts shaking the building. "Hmm..."

"Buffoon... be careful." Shego warned him.

"I've gotta." He held out the lamp. "I wish I had the power to stop the poodle and save Yori."

"Granted." Shego's magic swirled up in a green and black glow. "I hope you don't regret this."

Ron stood there waiting, but didn't feel any different. "Uh, Shego, I don't think it worked. I don't feel anything."

"Well, my magic granted the wish, I could feel it." She frowned then slumped against the wall. "Doy! Your wish didn't include knowing how to use it. So yeah, you got your power, but what it is, or how to use it... You're gonna have to figure it out on your own."

"Snap." Ron sighed. "Well, I guess there's only one way to do that. You still with me?"

"Unfortunately yeah, you have the lamp." The genie prepared herself on the other side of the door.

"Let's go!" Ron pushed the door open and leaped through, Shego beside him. "Hey, poodle! Bad dog! Down here!"

Puddles ignored him and continued biting at one of the ramparts along the outer wall. The poodle pawed at the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Another paw scratched at the wall, ripping free some bricks.

"Okay, not working, guess we need to get its attention the hard way." He took up his fighting stance easily, Shego doing the same. "Hope you're right about those powers."

"Me too." The genie lunged forward, slashing at the poodle's rear paw with a plasma edged knife hand strike.

Ron followed, leaping forward in a jump kick similar to Kim's usual attacks. It wasn't his usual style, but it felt right this time. His strike landed harder than normal too, hitting the poodle exactly where he intended to. He wasn't a bad fighter by any means, but this time he felt like... well, like Kim must feel. When the poodle turned to face him and tried to bite him, he sprang back, easily dodging out of the way.

He started to feel something helping him, a tingle that was letting him fight far better than he usually could. Trying it again, he rushed forward and jumped on top of the poodle's head, ignoring the ineffectual snap the dog sent his way. "Booyah!"

The dog bucked and shook, trying to dislodge him from on top of itself. Then it lay down and rolled, attempting to crush him. Hopping off, he circled around to the side, putting the thick outer wall behind himself. He saw Shego off to the side, staring at him questioningly, but he waved her back. He hoped this worked.

The dog stood up and braced itself facing him. With a loud growl, it ran forward, charging him. At the last moment, he leaped to the side and the poodle barreled past him, crashing into the wall. The bricks shuddered but held, and with a confused yelp, the poodle collapsed, passing out on the ground.

"Nice one, Buffoon." The genie congratulated him.

"This rocks!" He flexed. "I've never been able to fight like this before!" Concentrating, he tried to focus on the power. "It feels..."

He frowned. "...feels like..."

"Buffoon?"

"...like..." He shivered. This couldn't be happening! "M-m-m-Monkeys!"

"What?" Shego stared at him flatly.

"Monkeys!" He yelped and hugged himself. "It's monkeys!"

* * *

Kim was busy splinting the sultan's leg when the door to their safe house slammed open. "Yori? Ron?"

"Half right, cupcake." Shego walked through the door, supporting Ron. Her best friend was twitching and shaking, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. "Give me a hand with the buffoon?"

"What happened to him?" Kim briefly looked him over, but didn't see any visible injuries.

"He made a wish." The genie let Kim ease Ron into one of the chairs. "I wouldn't say it backfired on him, but he wasn't expecting what he got."

"What did he wish for?" Kim returned her attention to the sultan, who was also paying attention to the conversation.

"He wanted the power to save Yori and stop the poodle." Shego leaned down and held the leg in place so Kim could finish setting it. "We didn't see her, but I gotta give him credit, he took down the dog."

"He appears to be fine." Betty checked Ron while Kim and Shego finished her leg, obviously distracting herself so she didn't wince or shift and mess up their work.

"Yeah, he starting babbling something about monkeys and went all catatonic." The genie shrugged.

Kim groaned. "Ron's always had a thing about monkeys. They freak him out." She tied the last bandage and sat back against the wall, relaxing. She glanced out the window, taking in the fading light of dusk.

Betty noticed her look. "We'll rest here for tonight, ladies. With the day ending and Mr Stoppable out of commission and my leg like it is, we need to be at our best tomorrow if we're going to have any chance at finding Hench or my brother. Not to mention, with night almost here, we'll never be able to track them in the dark. Plus, you two look worn out. Get some rest, I'll stay with Stoppable until he comes out of it."

"Sultan, you're injured!" Kim tried to protest.

"I'm fine, Miss Possible." The older woman grinned wryly. "I need to keep my leg still for a while anyway, and I got to rest earlier when you were busy fixing it. And like I said, you and Shego are the best agents I have now, so if we're going to stop them and get Yori back, I need you to be well rested. Consider this an order, Kim."

"All right." She tugged the genie's arm. "Let's go get some sleep."

"Yeah, sure." She waited by the door to the other room for Kim. "What is it?"

Kim detoured on her way to the bedroom to retrieve Ron's pack. She rummaged around and dug out the lamp. "I think he's done enough damage to himself with this for now, don't you?"

"Probably." Shego grinned wryly and tapped her head. "You know, I can still sense you up here?"

"Really?" Kim asked as she sat on the bed. It was small and lumpy, but it would serve for a night.

"Yeah, he wished for us to be able to find you." The genie shook her head. "And somehow my magic decided that meant I need to be able to sense you wherever you are."

"That's..." The redhead tried to come up with the right word.

"Weird? Creepy? Wrong?" Shego was clearly thinking along the same lines as her.

"Pretty much." Kim agreed.

"Try living with it in your head all day." Shego grinned at her wryly. "At least it's you. I think I'd need to scrub my brain out if it was Drakken or Ron."

Kim shivered sympathetically. "Ron's my best friend, but even I don't want to know that much."

Shego tilted her head towards Kim's pack. "So, uh... what're you gonna do with my lamp?"

"I don't know." She tried to comfort the green girl. "I don't want to lose it or you again. But I'm... I look at what happened with everyone else's wishes. I think if I do make any more, I need to be really, really careful before I do."

"Probably not a bad idea, princess." The genie lay back on the bed. "I have no intention of telling the cyclops, but a rest sounds good right about now. I never imagined things would get so crazy when you first pulled my lamp from the cave. Maybe tomorrow we can spar before we head out?"

"Sounds fun to me." Kim agreed, sitting on the bed. It would be tight, next to Shego, but she was exhausted and didn't forsee any problem getting to sleep tonight. She put her back to the other girl. " 'Night, Shego."

* * *

The sunlight streaming in the window stabbed at Shego's eyes and the genie groaned. She felt relaxed and comfy and didn't really want to move right now. She sighed and lay there, not wanting to get out of bed if she didn't have to. The mattress might be lumpy, but it was far better than the bedroll she'd been using during the trek through the desert. She tried to shield her eyes, but her arm was trapped.

Kim was cuddled against her, one arm draped over her torso. The redhead snored lightly, clearly still asleep. Shego felt the other girl's breath on her neck, and some stray red hairs tickled her skin. The way the shorter girl clung to her was... nice.

"Hey KP, the sultan says..." Ron pushed the door open, his eyes widening when he peered inside. "Uh... we're gonna head out in a little bit, so, um, I'm gonna go. Now. You can get her up, Shego. So, uh, seeya in a little bit." He turned and hurried from the doorway.

"Kimmie..." The genie shook the sleeping girl. "Come on, cupcake, you need to get up. I really don't want Cyclops to come here and check what's taking so long."

"Mmmmm." The redhead pulled her closer, not showing any signs of waking soon.

"Oh, for..." Shego rolled, pulling her arm out from underneath Kim. The shorter girl's eyes opened slowly and she sleepily took in the room.

"Shego, what...?" Kim yawned.

"You need to get up, cupcake. The cyclops already sent your buddy in to tell you we'll be leaving soon. I'd rather not have her decide to visit personally." The genie turned, not wanting to face the redhead right now. _Okay, she's cute, she can fight, she's fun to hang out with, she's not an idiot. I could do a lot worse. But she's still a mortal and I'm a genie, and that's against the rules, big time._ The green girl walked out and leaned against the wall. _It's gotta be this whole sitch. First time in the mortal world, having to deal with all these idiots, of course I fix on the one who is smart and fun. Besides, she probably doesn't even go that way..._

The genie growled, frustrated. This was all she needed. Not only was she still stuck with Kim because of her mistake on the wish clause, but apparently she... Shego stomped that thought down, hard. _Let's just get Ron's princess back and then I can find a way to get out of the wishes, and hopefully this will all go away_.

"So..." The buffoon stared at her. "You two..."

"No, a big no on that one!" She whispered harshly. "Get this through your head, nothing happened! Okay?"

"Fine, nothing happened. Sheesh." The blond shook his head. "Look, just... don't hurt Kim, okay?"

"I'm not interested in her that way." Shego protested. Ron just arched an eyebrow at her and looked back towards the bedroom. "Doy!"

"I know you call me 'buffoon' all the time, but I saw your face back there. You like her." The sandy haired boy smirked. "Kim says I get the same look whenever I'm around Yori."

"Gah, I so don't need this now." She sighed. "Please don't tell her, Ron."

"I won't. But you gotta help me with Yori, deal?" Ron stuck out his hand.

"Deal." Shego shook it. She paused. "If I was interested - not that I am - but if, how...?"

The blond just laughed.

* * *

Kim readied her pack, doublechecking to make sure the lamp was safely stowed in the bottom. She had to admit the sultan was right. After a full night's sleep, she felt better than she had in quite a while. She was ready to track down the renegade lords and rescue Yori.

"Kim, can you still pick up their tracks?" The sultan asked her.

"Sure can." Kim nodded. "It's no big. They were in a hurry, so they didn't bother to hide."

She led the way, easily following the tracks for most of the morning. Near noon, she discovered where the lords must have camped the previous night. Unfortunately, that brought a new problem.

Kim pointed to the ground on the north edge of the camp. "It looks like they split into two groups, one headed east while the other kept going north. Which should we follow?"

"The larger group went north. Not only is that in the direction of Hench's castle, but the numbers make sense too." The sultan turned to the east. "We'll take the smaller group. That will be my brother. He took over one of our father's outposts in this direction, he'll want to go there, replenish his numbers."

"Makes sense." The redhead agreed.

"Hench won't have taken Yori. At his core, he's a merchant. Hiring out troops to my brother is one thing - he can always claim they went rogue. But kidnapping... No. Once we took back the palace, he'll be trying to cut his losses. I'm sure that in a little bit a message will arrive apologizing for the 'misunderstanding' and offering to help hunt down the 'renegades'." The sultan shook her head. "When things get settled, we need to do something about him, but it can wait."

"East it is, then." The group turned to follow the diverging tracks. As they travelled, Kim started to get irritated with Ron and Shego. The two of them hung back, talking quietly and occaisionally glancing her way. That wasn't counting the weird look the genie had given her that morning when she'd suggested a quick round of sparring before they left the capital. Something was going on with them, and Kim wasn't sure what.

"Your brother is pushing his mounts hard." Kim reported that evening when they camped. "We're making some progress, but we probably won't catch up before he reaches his castle."

"Unfortunate, but not unexpected." Betty grimaced.

"If they continue at this rate, they'll make the castle in two days. We can make it too, but not in time to stop them." The redhead continued.

"Then we'll press hard tomorrow. I want to get there before he expects us." The sultan ordered. "Get some rest, tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Ron had already started cooking dinner, so Kim went to go find Shego. The genie was standing off to the side, staring out over the landscape. "Shego, what are you looking at?"

"Just thinking, princess."

"About what?" She asked.

"It's... maybe I'll tell you later." The green girl sat down on a rock, watching the sun set. "Y'know, when I first got assigned to the lamp, I was excited because it was buried in that cave. I thought for sure that no one would use it, so I could serve as the genie of the lamp but not have to do anything. I never really wanted to visit the mortal world. I was sure there wasn't anything good here."

"Sounds like you're not so sure about it anymore." Kim observed as she sat down near the other girl.

"Yeah. I never thought you mortals could be fun." Shego sighed wistfully. "I mean, I only did the genie thing because of my brothers. I wanted... well, I'm not sure I knew what I wanted. I just didn't want to be like Hego, my big brother. He's all about rules and doing the right thing all the time."

"I try to do the right thing too." The redhead pointed out.

"Trust me, it's not the same. You have friends, fun, choices. Hego and the others don't really do stuff like that. He's so serious about being a genie, and he drove me nuts, trying to make me be his vision of that."

"I can see why you wanted to be free then. Live your own life." Kim thought about her parents, and how they wanted the best for her, including letting her decide what she wanted for herself. She was glad that they'd supported her, even when she started doing missions for the sultan.

"Anyway, thanks Kimmie. If not for you, I'd still be sitting in that cave, with my life going nowhere." The green girl smiled softly and patted her hand.

"I... I'm glad you got out too, Shego." She felt herself blushing slightly.

* * *

"Ron, how are you doing? Still bothered about the monkey powers?" Ron looked up from the fire to see Kim standing near him, a concerned expression on her face.

"Yeah, I guess I am, KP." He returned his attention to the cooking. "I mean, why did it have to be monkeys? Worst power ever, if you ask me."

"You saved the city when you took down that giant poodle. I know it's not what you wanted, but you did great." She was trying to reassure him.

"Still, monkeys..." Ron shivered. "I hate this. Every time I use it, I can feel the monkey magic. So creepy."

"I'm sorry, Ron, I wi-" Kim caught herself and bit off the word. "If only I could do something to help you."

Rufus patted his shoulder. "gonnabefine."

He poured her some of the stew, then spooned out more for the rest before he got his own bowl. They gathered around the fire, and Ron didn't miss how Shego took the seat next to Kim, closer than she needed to be since there were only the four of them. Of course, Kim seemed to still be clueless, both to the green girl's feelings and her own. At least she had someone she liked at last. He'd worried that she never really seemed to find someone, like he'd done wtih Yori. Granted, he hoped those two had better luck than he'd had so far with the princess.

Thoughts like that let him ignore the tickle of his new powers as they prodded for his attention. The less he had to do with anything monkey-related, the better, as far as he was concerned. Even if they let him fight like Kim could, he didn't really want to, if this was the price. However, if they would let him rescue Yori, he could deal with monkey magic for a little while.

The next morning, Kim once again took the lead. He brought up the rear, but found it was hard to concentrate on any one thing, because his monkey powers kept trying to warn him about something. He didn't see anything, but he could feel a dark presence... waiting...

"Kim, wait." He halted them as they approached a pass. "Something's wrong."

"What? An ambush?" The redhead looked around, checking some nearby rocks.

"I dunno, but these monkey powers Shego slapped me with seem to think something's wrong." He was also checking the rocks, but those didn't seem to be the source of the threat he was sensing.

"Mr Stoppable, can you be more specific?" Betty asked.

"Sorry, sultan, I'm not sure. I still don't know much about how this works. I just know something's not right here." He apologized.

"Very well." The sultan paused, considering. "There's another path to the southeast of here that should take us around this area. I dislike losing the time, but I think an ambush or worse would slow us down even more."

"I'll find it." Kim volunteed and sprinted out.

"You... You believe me?" He asked the older woman wonderingly.

"Ron, I trust you. You're good at what you do. There's no way you could keep up with Kim all these years if you weren't." Betty turned her good eye to him. "Have some faith in yourself."

"Wow." He watched the older woman walk away.

* * *

Kim drifted back to rejoin the rest of the group. "Ron was right, something's trailing us. Not something normal, either."

"I've had about enough of this." The sultan growled. "We're going to take care of whoever or whatever is following so we can deal with my brother without trouble."

The four took up a loose defensive perimiter. Soon enough, a puff of smoke swirled up near one of the rocks. Unlike Shego's smoke, this had tinges of red, and smelled acrid. "Relative of yours? One of your brothers?" Kim asked the genie.

"Doy, no." Shego looked pale, and Kim thought she could see hints of fear there. "That's..."

" **Shego! I will have your magic!** " Twin red eyes glinted from the smoke, and a thin, birdlike figure strode out, clutching a staff with an odd gem capping it. " **Tremble, mortals! Avarius the Ifrit is here!** "

* * *

"Your gauntlet worked well." Gemini gloated. "Now I need some extra strong restraints."

"For what? I'm not gonna try to run again." The short boy protested.

"Oh, I know that. But I have another guest joining us, I need to make sure her stay is... uneventful." The lord gloated. "And if you ever want to see your family again, you need to make sure that happens."

Wade gulped and nodded reluctantly.

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Ifrit vs Genie!_


	6. Ch 6 - Power Outage

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 6 - Power Outage

* * *

"Ifrit?" Kim whispered to Shego. She worried at how pale the green girl looked. Fear wasn't something she ever really expected to see there.

"They're similar to genies, but usually evil." The reddish-black smoke was fading now that the enemy had left it. Shego's eyes remained fastened on the ifrit. "This one hunts down other magical creatures to steal their powers. Last I knew, he was after my brothers, especially Hego."

"Well, that's not gonna happen." Kim watched the ifrit slowly advancing on them.

" **Shego!** " Avarius pointed his staff at her. **"Surrender and this will go easier for you.** "

"Give it up, birdbrain." The genie shot back. "You've had no luck before, and that was just against my idiot brothers." She pointed to her companions. "I've upgraded."

" **Mortals.** " The ifrit snorted. **"Insects.** "

"Hardly." Shego flared her plasma. "Besides, I'm not exactly helpless either."

" **Yes...** " The crystal on his staff flashed and Shego gasped, faint lines of green streaming from her towards it. Her face contorted in pain. " **All too easy.** "

"Stop it!" Kim shouted and leaped forward to attack Avarius. Her kick knocked the staff from his hands, sending it flying across the ground. The ifrit elbowed her, the impact far stronger than Kim expected. She huddled, trying to catch her breath and recover from the blow.

"I've had just about enough of you." Shego growled. "You've been trying to steal my family's powers for far too long." She lashed out, causing the ifrit to hiss in pain as her plasma-coated fist grazed his side. The ifrit tried to swat her out of the way so he could retrieve the staff, but the genie was able to get between him and it. He roared in frustration and tried to hit her again, once more missing as she leaped to the side and avoided the blow.

Kim managed to regain her feet and stumbled towards the fallen staff. The ifrit saw her movements and shouted. **"No!** "

"Keep it away from him, cupcake!" Shego called to her. "It's gotta be the source of his power."

" **You will not have it!** " Avarius surged forward, nearly knocking Shego over. Kim barely had time to jump back before he was next to her, reaching for the staff. His clawed hand closed over it. Kim had to struggle to maintain her grip. The two twisted and turned, each trying to wrench the staff free from the other.

Kim felt her fingers slipping and knew she couldn't hold on much longer. "Shego, I wish he could not touch the staff!"

"Granted!" The green girl's arms raised and her magic swirled.

" **No! Impossible!** " Avarius' fingers instantly released their grip on the staff, and Kim lurched back, stumbling and falling on her back with a _whump_ and a puff of sand. The staff struck the ground and a bright light blazed from the crystal, lancing out and bathing Shego in a pale green glow. Kim could feel a tingling where she held the staff. The sensation quickly grew to a molten trail of fire working its way through her body. She cried out as the world faded...

* * *

"KP!" Ron watched his best friend cry in pain and fall to the ground, unconscious. He advanced on the ifrit, moving to flank with Shego as they tried to protect their fallen friend. The genie didn't look like she was doing that well either. Whatever the gem on the staff had done had hurt her too.

He lashed out, letting the monkey power flow freely. His kick sent Avarius flying backwards away from Kim and the staff. Landing lightly, he punched the ifrit, staggering the foe again. Shego unsteadily advanced as well, the genie working her way to the side so she could flank the enemy. When the ifrit turned to face the green girl, Ron surged forward, tackling Avarius.

The foe shoved him off with a stronger blow than Ron expected. Still, his monkey powers let him land lightly on his feet, and he was able to regain his fighting stance easily. "Shego, can you fry him or something?"

The genie winced. "I tried, it's not working. That staff must have done something to me."

"Snap... Any ideas then?"

"Keep hitting him. That monkey power is hurting him, and if we do enough damage, we'll drive him back to the magic realm." Shego glanced towards Kim. "We need to keep him away from her."

"Duh." The sandy haired boy launched a flurry of blows at the ifrit, each hit causing the evil being to roar in pain. The green girl also attacked, but her strikes did little without her plasma. Just when Ron thought they were going to get rid of the enemy for good, he leaped back with a powerful jump, landing on top of a nearby rock.

" **This isn't over, Shego!** " Avarius glared at her, his eyes flashing red. " **I'll be back.** " He started to dissolve back into a cloud of red and black smoke. Ron hopped on the rock, but was too late, his kick passing harmlessly through the fading smoke. He tried to see where the ifrit was going, but the smoke disappeared without a trace. Not even his monkey powers let him sense where the enemy might be.

When he got down, Shego and the sultan were helping a dazed Kim sit up. Betty passed the redhead a small cup of water. "How do you feel, Kim?"

"...hurts..." Kim coughed. "What happened?"

"We drove him off, but I'm sure he'll be back. He's pretty persistent." Shego braced the shorter girl while she drank.

"So what happened? I feel really weird." The redhead looked around and spotted the staff still laying on the ground beside her. "I remember hitting the ground, then it felt like I was burning."

"Yeah, I think when you took it from him, something went wrong." The genie winced. "I'm not feeling right either. I think... I think it messed with my powers."

"Mr Stoppable, please pass me Kim's pack." The sultan gestured to where it was sitting.

He fetched it for her and watched as she swiftly retrieved the lamp from the bottom of the bag. When Shego glanced at her, she held up a hand to forestall the genie's comment. "Yes, I am well aware I only get three wishes. I have no intention of making more than one. I wish we knew exactly what happened to you and Miss Possible, as well as exactly how to fix it and return you two to your normal state of being."

"Granted!" Shego gasped out, her magic swirling around her slower than usual. With a thud, a large leather-bound book landed at the sultan's feet.

"Um..." Ron stared at it. "So not what I was expecting."

"Yes, I thought..." Betty frowned. "I assume this is typical of what happens?"

"Yeah, I was gonna warn you that wishes usually find a way to go wrong somehow." The green girl shrugged. "I guess you have your answers now."

"Yes, however we don't have the time to find them right now." The sultan packed the lamp and the book in Kim's bag and handed it back to her. "Keep those safe, Miss Possible."

"I will, Sultan." Kim promised.

"Mr Stoppable, were you able to follow this... Avarius?" Betty turned her attention to him.

"Not even with my monkey magic." Ron reported. "He turned to smoke and just faded. I don't even know which way he fled."

"Unfortunate." The older woman looked around. "We need to keep moving. I don't want to risk my brother sending out patrols and catching us here, especially now."

* * *

Yori twisted her wrists inside the cuffs. Had they been normal, she would have easily slipped them by now, but these were extremely well made. She flexed and relaxed, testing them to see if there was any weak spot. Unfortunately, with her hands behind her back, she couldn't see them and had to work by touch only. After a while, she settled on having to pick the lock. It took her much longer than usual, but since they hadn't found all her tools, she eventually pried one cuff off. Shortly after that, she removed the other one and the metal bands fell to the floor.

She rubbed feeling back into her wrists and took a quick tour of the room. She was being kept in a small room on the upper floor of a fort, probably the eastern one that was, as of the last report, occupied by Gemini. She listened at the door, and when she didn't hear anyone outside, went to work on the latch. She easily popped the lock and eased the door open.

Yori shut the door behind herself, locking it. With luck, no one would check on her until tomorrow, and by then she planned on being a long way from here. Her mother would certainly have sent Ron or Kim after Gemini, so all she needed to do was meet them along the way.

Boots sounded on the stairs at the end of the hallway, no doubt guards on patrol. She rapidly picked the lock of a nearby door and slipped inside.

"Um..." A younger boy stared at her. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

Yori guessed he was about thirteen or so, and from the looks of his clothes, not to mention the fact that he'd been locked inside, he was probably another prisoner. Even if, looking around, his room was far nicer than hers. "I am Yori. I just escaped from the next cell over, I can take you with me if you like."

"I wish I could." The boy shook his head. "My name's Wade. I can't leave, not without my family."

"Gemini has them too?" She asked.

"Somewhere, yes. He makes me build things for him, and if I try to run..." He left the rest unsaid.

"It would be my honor to rescue them too." Yori promised grimly. "Gemini has a great deal to pay for."

"I don't know where he keeps them. I think inside this fort, but I'm not sure. I get to see my mother once a month, but he could easily have her kept in one of his other forts." Wade sorted through several of the scrolls, pulling a few out. A book joined them, then another. After several minutes, he had a tidy pile ready to go. When Yori looked askance at the bundle, he shrugged. "I can't leave these here for him."

Yori nodded and kept watch at the door. She waited for a few more minutes, letting a second guard patrol pass, then gestured for Wade to follow her. The pair set out into the fort, checking each room for signs of Wade's mother.

* * *

"Shego, I think... I think I need your help." Kim told her. The redhead had pulled her aside during their lunch break, and Shego had to admit she looked unwell. "I feel weird."

"What's wrong?" The genie asked her.

"I feel... hot all over. Like just under my skin is on fire." The shorter girl groaned. "It keeps building up. I can't hold it back."

"Oh snap." Shego felt a spike of dread. "If this is what I think it is, it's going to be bad. We need to do something to help you now. That staff must have worked, at least partially, because what you're saying sounds awfully similar to what I went through when my powers showed up."

"You mean I'm a genie now?" Kim asked, horrified.

"Nope, doesn't work that way, but you do seem to be showing signs of my plasma powers." The green girl hastened to reassure her. "I'll do what I can for you."

"Wait, your fire isn't part of being a genie?" The redhead asked.

"Doy, no." Shego looked around, but Ron was busy with their food and the sultan was reading that book that had appeared. "I guess I need to tell you, but don't tell the cyclops or the buffoon, okay?" She waited for Kim's nod. "Most genies aren't like this, they have the usual wish granting stuff, a dramatic entrance or two, and some standard 'make life better in small ways' spells. My brothers and I were that way too, until one day a comet landed in our backyard. When we woke up, we found it had changed us. Gave us all different powers."

"A comet just happened to land right next to your house and after that you started shooting fire?" Kim giggled.

"Look, it's called the magic realm for a reason." The genie replied, annoyed. " _Anyway_ , it took us a while, but we learned what it did to us. We all got different powers, and mine happens to be plasma."

"And you think I have it now?"

"I think Avarius wanted to use that staff to take my comet powers. When you crashed down on the ground like that, you set it off. And since I can't seem to use it myself right now, I think you must have it." Shego sighed. "I hope the cyclops can dig some answers from that book, because I feel like part of me is missing."

"She will." Kim sounded certain.

"In the mean time, I can show you ways to deal with this. If you don't control it, you could hurt yourself or others. Does that sound good?"

"Please and thank you, Shego."

The genie sat on the ground and gestured for Kim to do the same. "First, I want you concentrate on that sensation of heat. Pull it through you, into your hands..."

* * *

"I believe I have located your mother, Wade-san." Yori spoke quietly to the younger boy. "I overheard several of the guards talking about a prisoner kept in the smaller storage building along the outer wall. From how they were speaking, that prisoner has been here for a long time now."

"Great!" Wade got up from the chair and joined her at the door. "We probably have an hour or so before they bring our dinner and notice we're not in our cells."

"Then we go now." The ninja checked the hall and slipped out the door. They quietly made their way out of the main building and waited for the patrol in the inner courtyard to move away before dashing across to the side building. There was only one guard on the door, and Yori quickly knocked him unconsious before he could call out an alarm. She took the key from his belt and opened the door. Inside the small room, an older woman sat on a rickety bed.

"Mom!" "Wade!" Yori winced at the noise, but she couldn't blame the two for their reunion. Wade ran in and hugged her, his mother returning it.

"Who's your friend?" Wade's mother asked after she finally stopped her hug.

"I'm Yori, I serve Sultan Betty. It is my honor to help you and your son escape." She bowed.

"This isn't one of Gemini's tricks?" She asked her son.

"No, she's for real. We're going home, Mom!" Wade smiled.

"Then let's not waste any time." She got up and the two of them walked over to join Yori. "Do you have a plan for getting us out of here, young lady?"

Yori pulled the rope out that she'd taken from one of the supply rooms. "We go over the wall. The patrols are very light, and they focus on the gates, so if we go over the side, we can avoid them easily. After that, we head west. The sultan will have sent someone after me, so we meet them and get you two to safety."

"Very well, I'll follow you. Thank you for saving us, young lady."

"It is my honor."

* * *

"How ya doing, KP?" Ron asked her as they waited for night to fall. They had reached the hills near the fort an hour earlier, but they wanted to wait for the cover of darkness before infiltrating Gemini's headquarters.

"I still feel weird." She admitted. "Shego showed me some stuff that helped, but it's..."

"Like part of you just isn't right?" Ron smiled sadly. "Trust me, right there with you."

"I'm so sorry, Ron, I didn't mean to remind you of that."

"It's fine. I might not like it, but if it helps me rescue Yori, then I guess I can live with it." He sighed. "Still... monkeys..."

"We'll fix it. We just need to get Yori back and capture Gemini, then it'll be over." Kim tried to sound optimistic. "Oh, and deal with Jack Hench, too."

The two fell silent for a while. "Kim, why don't you just wish and fix all this?"

"I... don't think I could, and even if I did, you know something else would just go wrong that we'd have to deal with." She looked away. "Besides, I don't like using Shego like that. It feels wrong, y'know?"

"She's a genie, Kim. It's pretty much her purpose. I mean, isn't it hurting her more that you're not making wishes? Like if someone said you couldn't go on missions. How would that feel?"

"It's not the same. I choose to go on missions because I want to, she doesn't have a choice, she has to grant wishes for whoever controls the lamp." She protested. "I don't like forcing her to do stuff. I..."

"What?" Ron asked when she didn't continue.

"It's not important." She waved it off, feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment.

"KP, tell me, I know something's bothering you."

"I don't want to talk about it." The sense of shame got stronger... no, not shame... "Oh... snap..."

"Uh, Kim, are you sure you're all right? Cause you're sorta..." He waved a hand. "...glowing."

"I..." Kim tried to stand, the fire running through her hotter than before. She stumbled to the side, recoiling from Ron when he tried to help her. "No, don't touch me. I'm gonna..." She groaned and fell to her knees as green fire erupted from her fists. "Aaaaaahhhh!"

"Shego, we need ya, now!" Her best friend called.

"What's going... Doy! Get away from her!" The genie pulled him back. "She needs to calm down and let it settle." She turned her attention to the ailing redhead. "Kimmie, listen to me. Concentrate on my voice. I know it's completely opposite of what you're feeling right now, but you need to calm down. Relax." The green girl stepped forward, reaching out to her, her voice remaining even. "The fire is yours, you control it, you can draw it back down."

The green flames continued to dance and flare around her hands as Kim tried to back away from Shego, but the genie kept up her slow advance. "Pull it back into yourself. It won't hurt you unless you let it, but you need to take control of it." Kim gulped and stopped backing up, focusing on what Shego was saying. "That's it. You're calm, at peace. You can relax. Let it sink back where it belongs."

The redhead took a deep breath and staggered, falling against Shego. She felt the taller girl's arms wrap around her, holding her while she struggled to catch her breath. She stood there for a while, Shego letting her regain her composure. "So pumpkin, I guess you finally managed to activate my plasma. Any idea what set it off?"

"Uh..." Kim's voice dropped to a whisper. "I sorta... _gotembarrassed..."_

"You..." The genie giggled. "That is too funny."

"Shego!" Kim hissed.

* * *

Yori scouted ahead, checking for any patrols in the canyons. She hadn't spotted any, and she didn't really expect to. Gemini didn't have enough troops to send out and cover all the approaches to the fort. Still, she hoped to put some more distance between their small party and the fort. Despite the fading light, she intended to cover a few more miles before they finally camped for the night.

She heard movement up ahead from behind a bend in the path. She eased her way forward, staying to the shadows as best she could. She spotted a figure up ahead, watching from behind a nearby rock. She snuck around behind the shape and grabbed the waiting person, surprising them.

The man gasped and slid an arm up, breaking her grip and tossing her back. Yori landed lightly on her feet and spun to face... "Ron-san!"

"Yori?" He asked.

"You are here?" Relief flooded her.

"Well yeah, of course I did." He grinned at her and she returned it. "We set out as soon as we got control back of the palace. How did you make it out anyway?"

"The most dishonorable lord has inferior locks." She told him, and he had the grace to look embarrassed at that. "I should be the one asking you how it is you dealt with the giant dog. That seems a bit more unusual."

"Yori, is everything-" Before he could answer, Wade's voice whispered from nearby then cut off when he saw Ron near her.

"Excuse me, Ron-san. I shame myself. I forgot my companions." She started in the direction she'd heard Wade, but waved for Ron to stay put. "Please, give me a moment to explain to them. They were prisoners of Gemini's for months."

She caught up to Wade easily enough and explained the situation to the short boy and his mother. The two of them were relieved to find out that they'd been rescued by the sultan's forces, and accompanied Yori back to the rock, where she introduced them to Ron. "Is Kim here too?"

"Yeah, she's with Shego and the sultan back at camp." He informed her.

"The sultan came here as well?" She asked, amazed.

"Yup, she left Captain Du in charge back at the palace. We're gonna take down Gemini once and for all." Ron nodded. "So we're all here, and now that you're here, we're gonna finish this."

"You guys really are going to arrest Gemini?" Wade asked him.

"Oh yeah, it's long overdue." The sandy haired boy agreed. He led them back to the camp where further introductions followed. Wade and his mother were suitably impressed with meeting the sultan and Kim, while Shego was a source of curiousity, especially to the scholarly boy.

Once everyone had been caught up on the basics of the situation, it was time to decide the next steps. Sultan Betty agreed to stay back with Wade and his mother while Kim, Ron, Yori and Shego infiltrated Gemini's fort and took down the renegade.

"Good luck you four." The sultan watched them head out in the direction of the fort.

Yori led them towards Gemini's base and they soon reached the edge of the clearing around it. "We should go over the wall on the northwest side. He has very few troops left after his misadventure in the palace, and most of them are busy guarding the gates. Once inside, we will have cover to the main building. I only spotted one regular patrol, so we should be able to find Gemini and deal with him quietly."

"Sounds good." Kim eyed the fort. "Are there any special defenses we need to watch out for?"

"Wade says no. He purposely included flaws in most of the items Gemini forced him to build while he was held prisoner. If we encounter anything 'special', let me deal with it. He told me how to disable them."

"Please and thank you." The redhead replied.

Yori waited until the other girl went over to talk with Shego before pulling Ron aside. "Is Kim-san well? She looks... not herself."

"We kinna had a small problem on the way, but she's dealing with the sitch." He assured her. "Shego's helping her, and the sultan has a book on how to fix it."

"Very well." She resolved to keep an eye on her friend during the mission anyway. She caught Ron's hand as he moved to join the other two girls. "Thank you, Ron. For coming after me."

"Ah... always, Yori... I mean, Princess Yori!" He stammered, his face red. "Sorry, kinna forgot."

"Just call me Yori." She smiled softly at him and he returned it.

* * *

Jack Hench lounged in his throne, his face carefully neutral. He studied his visitor while he considered the offer before him. "You understand, this is certainly a first for me, but if what you tell me is true, I'd be more than happy to work with you. And you're sure this is all you ask in return?"

His guest nodded.

"Then we have a deal. I have the perfect agent to neutralize Kim Possible, if you can handle the genie." He held out his hand. "I must say, I look forward to having my own genie."

 **"You will have Shego only after I have taken her fire.** " Avarius growled, his red eyes blazing and black smoke swirling around his feet. " **Once I have that, you will have her lamp.** "

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Gemini gets dealt with, but new problems arise._

* * *

 _A/N 1: So yeah, Kim ends up with Shego's plasma powers, at least temporarily. Wade might be able to find some answers in the book, if nothing else goes wrong in the meantime..._

 _And Yori rescues herself, as well as Wade. Ninja!_

 _A/N 2: For those who have asked, this will probably end up around 10-13 chapters total. As always, thanks to everyone for reading it!_


	7. Ch 7 - Possible Complications

_A/N: This one's a bit slow, because some important setup needs to happen. And if things seem a little too easy in certain places, be assured that just because they appear to be easy, doesn't mean they'll stay that way!_

* * *

 **Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 7 - Possible Complications

Ron secured his line then camouflaged its location with a plank he found on the rampart. Kim and Yori had already done the same, while Shego was also finishing hers. The four of them slipped down the stairs and took cover behind one of the outbuildings before one of the few patrols spotted them.

Once they reached the main building, Yori made quick work of the lock and they dashed inside. "Don't you think Gemini will be waiting for us to try this?" Shego asked them as they moved down the hall.

"Not likely." Kim told her. "If anything, he'll assume Yori headed back to the palace. He won't think that we'd try something like this so soon after she escaped."

"I bet that's why it's so deserted." Ron added. "He musta sent all his guys out looking for Yori and Wade."

"What few he had left." Shego snorted. "You- we did take out a lot of 'em back at the palace. Fine, not gonna complain that it's easy so far."

"Please don't say that." He winced. "Now we know something's gonna go wrong."

Yori led them to the main audience chamber she'd found during her escape earlier. It was deserted, but raised voices from a small office further down the hall let them know that Gemini was indeed here and aware of her absence. Ron and Kim took position on either side of the door, while Yori and Shego got ready to follow them. They burst through the door to face the renegade lord and his second in command.

"No! Not again!" He ranted. "You can't be here!"

"Dude, did you think we'd just let you go after you tried to take over the palace and kill your sister?" Ron asked him. "Of course we're gonna stop you!"

"You can't stand against the might of WEE!" The lord shook his fist at them.

"WEE?" Shego asked, frowning. "This isn't gonna get weird or gross, is it?"

"The Worldwide Evil Empire!" Gemini gloated. "Jack Hench joined me, as did your own lord Drakken! They won't stand for you threatening me!"

"Is he for real?" Shego asked the other three.

"Uh, sorry to tell you, but Jack Hench abandoned you, and Drakken's under arrest." Kim informed him. "So if you'll just surrender, we can do this the easy way, please and thank you."

"Never! Get them!" He roared, pointing at them.

"Who is getting us?" Ron looked around. At some point, the henchman had apparently fled out a side door, leaving his boss alone in the room with them.

"Awkward..." Shego muttered.

"You! It's your fault!" The lord pointed right at Ron then Kim, then back to Ron. "I can understand her, she's just like my sister and I can deal with that, but you... What is your secret?"

"I dunno? I'm working on this recipe for a toasted chip with melted cheese on it?" He shrugged.

"You mock me?! I will-" The lord's eyes rolled up and he fell to the ground as Yori struck him unconscious with a well placed blow. The ninja met their eyes.

"Was this dishonorable? You did say that we need to hurry."

* * *

Getting the unconscious lord over the wall took some work, but they managed. Apparently the second in command had spread word that they'd infiltrated the palace, and most of the remaining guards had fled. The few who remained were busy guarding the gate and didn't trouble them as they made their way over the wall. Taking turns carrying Gemini, they returned to their camp.

"Excellent work, everyone." The sultan actually smiled slightly. "Now we can set about getting things back to normal."

The night passed uneventfully for once, and they settled in for some much needed rest. Even taking turns at watch, they felt much better in the morning. The only thing bothing Shego was the sense of loss she still felt. Without her plasma... The green girl sighed. Well, they had the book, they just needed a chance to read it and figure out what to do. Kimmie was controlling it so far, but both of them needed to get back to normal.

Soon enough, they arrived back at the palace and while the sultan talked with Captain Du about the rebuilding efforts, the rest of them discussed what next. Ron brought them all plates of food. "So, Gemini and Lipski - I mean, Drakken are in prison and we're all safe, so what now?"

"Hench is still out there." Kim pointed out. "He had as much to do with all this recent trouble as Gemini did. And you can be sure he'll be after us still. The man hates having his investments ruined."

"You know, I was having such a nice vacation, I had just gotten to the beach when you had to go and rub my lamp." Shego groaned. "Can't we just say good enough?"

"I don't like loose ends. Besides, I'd rather take Hench out before he tries something and more people get hurt." The redhead told her.

"Doy, fine." The genie shrugged then turned towards Wade, who'd been quiet for most of the discussion. "Hey, Nerdlinger, I know the cyclops gave you that book on the way back, have you found out anything to help with the whole fire sitch?"

"Not yet, Shego." The boy met the genie's gaze. "I've had to translate it as I go, so it's slowed me down. Not to mention, I was only able to study it when we camped at night. Don't worry though, now that I have time, I'll be sure to find answers for you two really soon."

"Please and thank you." Kim smiled at him.

"No prob." The younger boy grinned back. "I owe you guys a lot for getting me and my mother out from Gemini's clutches. Besides, the sultan is gonna let me work in the royal library! I've dreamed of an opportunity like this."

"Wade-san, you deserve it after suffering that." Yori told him. "I only wish we had been able to rescue you much sooner than this."

"Well, you guys did, so please let me help now. This is something I'm good at."

"Tomorrow, though." Shego decided. "I can live with this for one more night and if we really are going after this other lord, I think we've all earned a little relaxation tonight."

"I'm with green girl on this one." Ron agreed.

"I guess Jack Hench isn't going anywhere." Kim gave in. "I'll tell the sultan we'll get ready tomorrow."

"It would be my honor to inform my mother, Possible-san. Ron-san, will you accompany me?" The ninja smiled at him.

"Escort you? You so don't need an - Ow!" Shego stomped on his foot.

"Don't be a total idiot." She whispered to him. "She's giving you a big chance, take it."

"Oh... Oh! Yeah, it would, uh, be my honor to go with you, princess." He blushed.

She watched him leave with the dark haired girl. "Kimmie, please wish some sense into him. I promise I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't screw up."

"Shego!"

"Just sayin' "

* * *

It turned out to be several days before they were ready to head out after Jack Hench. And despite his promises, Wade was only about halfway through translating the book. He was making progress, and Kim was grateful, but she was about to go crazy. Shego's method of dealing with the waiting seemed to be trying to make Kim embarrassed so she'd 'glow it up'. According to her, it was the next best thing for the moment, until she got her plasma back.

"Kim-san?" Princess Yori greeted her from the door, interrupting her musings. "May I talk with you?"

"Of course, Princess." She waved her friend in. "And please, it's just Kim."

"Then call me Yori." The ninja smiled shyly at her. "I find I need someone to talk to. I need advice."

"I'll help you if I can, Princ - Yori." She corrected herself. She walked over and shut the door behind Yori and they both sat on the bed. "What do you want to know?"

"I find I am uncertain." The dark haired girl admitted. "I... how do you know if you are in love?"

"Love?" Kim blushed and focused on the mental techniques Shego showed her. Yori needed her help and bursting into flame wouldn't help matters right now.

"Yes, I... I find myself unsure. I know what is expected of me, to marry a prince, but I..." The ninja gulped. "I do not want that. There is someone else I would rather..."

"Ron." Kim smiled reassuringly at her.

"Hai." Yori whispered, her face flushing. "How do you know if it is real?"

"I'd say trust your heart P- Yori. Why not give him a chance?" She took a chance. Ron was going to be mad, but once he was past that, he'd thank her. "Look, I know he likes you too. You could ask him out on a date."

"A date?"

"Yeah, start there and see how it works for you." Kim noted the ninja's hesitation. "You know he won't ask you, so you gotta make the first move."

"Will... Do you think he will say yes?" Yori asked apprehensively.

"Oh yeah." Kim laughed. "I'm sure of it."

"Thank you... Kim..." Yori gave her a tentative hug and smiled at her as she left the room.

Kim followed her to the door, where she spotted Shego also watching. The green girl looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

"Ron." Kim told her.

"Ah, so she's gonna do something then?" Shego replied, amused.

"Hopefully. Though I have to say, I probably wasn't the best choice for her to ask." The redhead looked down. "I don't really... Well, she probably could have asked someone better."

"I'm sure you did fine, cupcake." The genie shut her door and stood in the hallway. "Now come on, I'm bored."

"Where are we going?" Kim wanted to know. The sultan still hadn't given them leave to go after Hench yet.

"Sparring, doy." She felt her own smile growing at hearing that from the genie. Sparring with the other girl was fun. They were so close in skill, she always learned something when they fought. And then there was the rush. She always felt exhilerated after a fight, but when she sparred Shego, it went to a whole new level.

"You're on." Kim shut her own door and followed the taller girl out to the training yard.

* * *

Sultan Betty watched the two girls sparring in the yard below her window. She looked across the table to where Ron was sitting, still confused as to why she'd asked him here. She gestured to the window, inviting him over. He stood and walked to join her. "Mr Stoppable, I would bet that you're wondering why I asked you here."

"Yeah I am, Sultan." He replied. "You usually have KP do the debriefing thing."

"I think Miss Possible has earned a break. And I wanted to talk to you. How are you handling your new powers?" She watched the boy struggle to compose himself.

"I, uh, I still don't like them. Why do I have to have monkey magic?" He shivered. "But I guess I'm stuck with them."

"Yes, you most likely are." She told him, careful to keep any hint of sympathy off her face. "What are you going to do about them?"

"I... I don't know. I still don't even know how to turn them on and off." Ron admitted. "Shego says that's because of my wish. I wished for the power to stop that giant poodle, but I forgot to include how to use it. So I'm stuck figuring it out on my own."

"You need to start training then. Serious training." She rang a bell and the door opened, Captain Du walking in and saluting. "Captain Du will help you."

"Uh..." He stammered.

"This is not just about your powers." The sultan watched him, amused. "You're also going to be taking lessons in leadership, history, politics..." The boy's jaw dropped. "I have plans for you, Mr Stoppable."

"Me?" He squeaked. "But I thought Kim was..."

"Oh, I intend to keep training Miss Possible as well." She smiled tightly. "You two have far too much talent to let it go to waste."

Will Du spoke up. "Mr Stoppable, I understand you will be heading out soon. I suggest you get ready, because I plan on making the most of the next few days until you go." The guard captain gestured for him to follow.

Sultan Betty returned her attention to the window, watching the courtyard where the two girls were still training. She tapped the windowsill idly, considering her options. "I wonder..."

* * *

Kim wiped the sweat off her brow as she readied herself for her opponent's next attack. A slight shift in balance was the only warning she had, and she barely managed to block Shego's kick as the green girl lashed out. She threw a punch of her own, but the genie easily swatted it aside. "That all ya got, pumpkin?"

"Hardly." She grinned at the other girl and sent a kick towards her. Shego didn't bother to block it, but instead dropped down, sweeping her own leg out. Caught off balance, Kim tumbled to the ground and Shego pounced on her. The green girl smiled triumphantly down at her.

Kim met the taller girl's gaze and froze. Shego's eyes traced the lines of her face. She was still breathing hard, despite neither of them moving. Something in her eyes hypnotized Kim, locking her in place. The genie released her hands, one finger tracing along Kim's forearm and up her bicep. The redhead shivered under the touch, her breath hitching. She wanted...

Kim wasn't sure what she wanted. Shego apparently was still making up her mind as well. The green girl let her gaze roam along Kim's body while her hand had stopped at Kim's shoulder. She leaned down slowly...

Before anything - and Kim had a pretty good idea of what that anything would be - happened, the genie sat back up, sighing. "Sorry, cupcake."

"Uh..." Kim's mind raced, struggling to catch up with what had - almost - happened. Shego had been about half a second from kissing her. Shego wanted to kiss her! And she had been about to let her. She'd wanted it too.

"Kimmie... I..." The genie stood up and stepped back from her, offering a hand to help her up. She shakily accepted, her racing pulse matching the green girl's. She kept her eyes averted, not wanting to stir things back up again.

"Shego, were you... gonna...?" Her face flushed and she could feel the plasma stirring, and she did her best to clamp down on her embarrassment.

"I can't!" Shego whispered harshly. "It's against the rules. I shouldn't have... I'm so sorry." The genie turned away and walked to the palace, leaving Kim leaning against the wall, more confused than ever.

* * *

By the time the sultan finally granted them permission to leave, Ron was convinced he'd never been happier to leave for a mission. Captain Du was relentless. Not only did the man insist on him learning all the rules and laws, but he also kept Ron running ragged with constant training sessions.

The sandy haired boy stole a glance at the rider next to him. He'd wanted to find some time to spend with Yori, especially since she seemed to want the same thing. Unfortunately, every time he'd tried to talk to her, Du had shown up to drag him off for a class or drill or exercise. At least now that he was out of the palace, he might actually have a chance to talk to the princess.

Looking ahead, he decided that might have to wait, though. Kim sat slumped in her saddle, dejected. The few times he'd seen her recently, she'd been wearing that expression. For the first time he could remember, he'd been the one to remind Kim that they had to leave for a mission, rather than the other way around. He needed to find out what was bothering her, and then figure out how to fix it.

Shego had something to do with it, he was convinced. Whenever the genie looked at the redhead, she'd turn away, an expression of shame and longing on her face. The green girl did her best to avoid Kim and the rest of them, not wanting to talk with them.

Ron decided to talk to her first, find out what had happened. He let his horse drop back until he was next to Shego. "Hey." The genie, lost in her own thoughts, didn't notice at first. "Shego, what's with you today?"

"Oh... Ron." The green girl replied quietly. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. You've been moping for the past few days, and Kim's been walking around like someone stole her pandaroo."

"Pandaroo?" The ghost of a smile flitted across the genie's face.

"Ugh, forget I mentioned that. Not important." He waved it off. "Look, you gotta tell me what happened between you two, okay?"

"I made a mistake. We were sparring and... I almost kissed her..." Her voice trailed off.

"So? I thought you liked her?" Ron scratched his head.

"Yeah, but... she's the master of the lamp, okay? I can't. It's against the rules. I know I don't always follow all of them, but... I can't, even though I really want to." She gulped. "Anyway, I almost did, and now she knows. And it's made everything weird between us."

"Did she say anything about it?" He knew he was out of his depth on this one, but Kim was his best friend, and Shego had become a friend too. He wanted to help them fix this situation.

"No. Not to me, anyway."

"Okay, I guess I'll talk to her too, find out how she feels." He smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll work out for you, somehow."

"If only..." The genie sighed.

* * *

"There is an estate ahead, with fresh water." Yori reported later that afternoon. "Recently constructed, from all appearances. It doesn't seem to be allied with Hench, though I never got close enough to check."

"Supposedly a new noble family bought it." Kim mused. "I haven't heard anything bad about them, and even the guards say when they happen by there, they get treated very politely."

"Think they'd mind a visit?" Ron peered at the distant estate. "It would be nice to not have to camp if we can."

"At the very least, we can ask if they know anything about Hench's recent movements." The redhead agreed. "I'd say it's worth asking."

The four rode up to the estate, the guards smiling and waving them in when they announced themselves. The commander bowed to them. "Lord Senior will be happy to meet you, especially you, Princess Yori. He was most relieved to hear your mother recovered from the difficulties in the capital."

"Thank you." The ninja replied.

"If you'll follow me?" The captain led them into the main building. Opening the door to the main room, he called loudly. "My lords, your visitors, the Princess Yori and her companions, Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and Shego. Ladies and gentleman, Lord Senior Senior Senior, and his son, Senior Senior Junior."

"Please friends, come in, come in." The old lord waved them in. "We were just about to eat, would you care to join us?"

"It would be our honor." Yori answered for them.

The meal they shared was better than even most served by the sultan, and the older lord proved to be a gracious host. Ron shared many stories about their adventures, as Lord Senior seemed to enjoy those in particular.

"... so with more traps, it would have cut down on time for you to stop Lord Gemini?" SSS asked Ron.

"Oh yeah. I mean, he had a few, but not nearly enough. He should have at least put one on the safe he kept the scroll in. Maybe some on his office door." Ron told him.

"Interesting." The lord mused. "Perhaps a permanent guard in the room as well?"

"For sure!" He agreed. "Put it next to a guard room too. Easy to reinforce it that way."

Dessert was as excellent as the rest of the meal, and the rooms Lord Senior provided for them were spacious and comfortable. The four rested better than they had in a while, and when they were ready to set out in the morning, even Shego and Kim had brightened from the gloom that had held them for the past few days.

"Thank you for your kind visit. It is always nice to have pleasant company." The old lord bid them farewell. "I hope you have luck on the rest of your mission."

"He was nice." Shego commented as they rode off.

"Yeah, good to see not all the local lords went crazy when Gemini tried his little plot." Ron agreed. "Plus, his food rocked! We so gotta stop by on the way back."

* * *

"Snap... That is a lot more guards than I expected." Kim gave up counting the goons encamped at the border of Jack Hench's lands. "No wonder he wasn't concerned with his losses at the capital. Where does he get them all?"

"Should we attempt to find another way around them?" Yori asked, worried.

"We don't have time to fight them and they might give away our presence if one of them gets away if we engage them." The redhead nodded to the ninja. "Our best bet is to avoid them."

"They have lots of patrols riding around." Ron pointed out.

Kim glanced back at Shego, but the genie had her head down, a lost expression still on her face. Ever since the _incident_ the other day back at the palace, things had been very weird and tense between them. She'd avoided pretty much everyone, especially Kim. The genie had talked to Ron, but her best friend hadn't been able to say much about it before they found the Senior's estate and now Hench's patrols.

"I think there was a river to the south of here." Kim unrolled the map, locating their position. "I doubt he'll be able to patrol the whole thing, so if we wait until dark, we could swim it easily. Any objections?" She looked around, but none of her friends had any. "Okay, let's find a good spot to cross and get ready."

Ron cornered her while Shego and Yori were busy farther down the bank. "KP, we gotta talk."

"What is it?" She asked, even though she already knew what he was going to say.

"What's with you? I know something happened with you and Shego."

"Nothing happened." Kim sighed. "Nothing. That's the problem."

"Uh... what?" He scratched his head.

"I thought she was gonna... but yeah, she didn't. And she said nothing could happen, that it was against the genie rules." She replied. "So I guess that's it. And now I'm... confused. I think I like her, like really like her. But I don't know what to do now."

"What do you want, then?"

Kim looked over to where Shego stood on a rock, gazing out at the river. "What I can't have."

* * *

"Is everything ready?" The taller figure set down his teacup as he glanced over at his companion. "I mislike this delay."

"You agreed to the plan, just like me." The young man yawned. " 'sides, this job's gonna be a snap. We just gotta fool em long enough, and I get rich and you get your 'destiny'."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." The older man dismissed the other. "With luck, they will be here to rescue us tomorrow."

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Infiltrating Hench's estate. Everything goes according to plan, but whose plan?_

* * *

 _A/N 2: Yeah, this one was a lot of filler, sorry. I needed to set up the next bit, but I'm still not happy with how it ended up. The part with the Seniors was fun to write though. I have plans for them, especially after Ron's 'help'. Thanks as always to everyone who reads/follows/reviews!_


	8. Ch 8 - Monkey Master vs Monkey Fist

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 8 - Monkey Master vs Monkey Fist

* * *

"Does this seem a little too easy, considering how many Henches we've seen on the way in so far?" Kim muttered as they climbed down the rope into the inner courtyard of Jack Hench's mansion.

"KP, we've passed at least ten times as many guards as Gemini had, even before the coup." Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, and he could have ten times more than that." Kim watched a patrol pass by the shadows they were hiding in. When the guards were far enough away, she continued. "He has to know that with Gemini locked up, we'd be after him next."

"And that's why all his guys are on the border." He argued. "Lots of them there means fewer here."

"I'm with Kimmie, something about this reeks." Shego spoke up, surprising Kim as it was the first time in a while that the genie had said anything.

"Shego-san is right." Yori nodded. "Lord Hench is many things, but he is not a fool. I feel like we are missing an important detail here."

"Okay, so it's probably a trap, we just gotta be careful." Ron gave in. "Once we get him, does it really matter what he planned?"

"True." Kim agreed.

The four dashed to the main palace as soon as the guard patrol was out of sight. She peered in entrance. "Well, this explains where his elite guards are. It looks like he's got them all stationed inside and waiting for us or someone like us. I guess he doesn't want to get arrested the same way that Gemini did."

Ron took his own look inside. "Good thing we weren't planning on going in through the front door anyway."

Yori secured their lines from the roof and they swiftly climbed to the roof. Hench had some guards posted there, but they were no match for the four of them. Once they cleared the roof, they swiftly found a window that wasn't secured as tightly as the others around it and slipped in the third floor. They took out another group of guards patrolling the floor, leaving them unconscious in the room they'd broken into.

The second floor was handled the same way, but they still found no sign of Jack Hench. The more they searched without sign of the renegade lord, the more worried Kim got. "I don't get this at all. Where is Hench? This is his palace, his elite guards are here, so where is he?"

" 'Kay, so you were right, this is a trap, but how?" Ron shrugged. "This whole thing seems so weird, KP. You'd think that now would be the ideal time to spring it. Why wait?"

"Let's keep looking, then." Kim led them onward, the sense of unease growing.

* * *

Their luck held for most of the search of the second floor, but eventually a Hench walked up the stairs, clearly on break, took one look at the four of them and dropped his sandwich, calling out an alarm. Boots pounded on the stairs and Henches ran up to engage the teens. The four of them fell back into a loose circle, covering each other's backs.

Kim and Shego led the counterattack, diving forward under the sword strikes before rolling out and lauching kicks of their own. The first line of Henches fell to them, but more flooded the hall, forcing the girls to slowly retreat. Meanwhile, Ron and Yori took the opportunity to take out the few that made it past their friends.

Shego surged onward, missing her plasma powers greatly, but happy to finally have opponents to fight. The tension of the past few days flowed out of her as she unleased her frustrations on the unfortunate Henches. As the fight continued, she gravitated towards Kim, ending up back to back with the redhead. The Henches pressed in, trying to finish the two stronger fighters.

A kick from one of the Henches sent Shego stumbling backwards into Kim, nearly knocking the shorter girl off her feet. She turned and helped the genie up, and Shego tried to ignore just how good even that brief contact felt. She turned back towards the grinning Hench, her snarl wiping the smile off his face.

After she dropped him, she looked around and spotted a couple Henches readying their bows and aiming at Ron and Yori. Once again wishing she still had her powers, she grabbed a nearby vase and threw it at them, the shattering pottery distracting them. Their arrows went wide, missing her friends. The green girl vaulted over another Hench and threw some punches at the stunned bowmen, sending them crashing down to the ground.

"Booyah!" Ron's cry cut through the melee. The telltale glow of his monkey magic surrounded him as he slammed a fist into the floor. Cracks spread from the impact and the floor started crumbling, the faults heading towards the stairs the Henches were coming from. Finally a large chunk of floor broke free and collapsed, cutting the four of them off from the stairway. With no more reinforcements, the remaining few Henches were easily taken care of.

"Nice, Ron!" Kim cheered her best friend.

"Maybe this monkey thing isn't so bad. Though it's still creepy." He shrugged. "So, finish searching this floor before they find a way back up here?"

"Please and thank you." She nodded towards the last few rooms they hadn't searched yet. "Take the ones on the right?"

"On it."

Two of the three remaining rooms were opened quickly, but when she reached the third, she found a complex lock securing it. She listened and heard some muffled thumps as well as someone calling out from inside. " _Hey! If you're not with Hench, help please!_ "

"Yori, can you get this lock open? Sounds like Hench is keeping prisoners here." Kim waved the ninja over.

The lock proved no match for Yori's skills, and they soon had the door open. Inside, two men, one older and one about Kim and Ron's age stood facing the door, glaring defiantly. "Are you more of Hench's goons? You can tell him we're still not giving him what he wants."

"We're not with Hench. In fact, we're here to bring him in." Kim told the older man.

"You're with Sultan Betty then? She finally sent a rescue team for us?" The young man spoke up, smiling brilliantly at Kim. She felt her face heat up and returned a shy smile of her own.

"Sultan Betty sent us, but we're supposed to find Jack Hench, we didn't know you were here, ah...?" She trailed off.

"I am Lord Monty Fiske, and this is my nephew Josh. We were on our way to negotiate a trade deal with the sultan when Hench's goons ambushed our caravan and captured us." The lord bowed. "I am grateful for the rescue, even if it is unplanned."

"No big. I'm Kim Possible, this is Yori, Ron Stoppable and Shego." Kim introduced the team, blushing again when Josh kept his eyes on her.

"A pleasure. I wish I could be of more assistance in your mission, but I can at least tell you that Jack Hench left his men here to hold us while he brought the majority of his forces to scout our lands to the west two days ago. I assume that he is still there." Lord Fiske told them.

"Snap." Kim sighed. "If he's with an army, I guess we're not arresting him this time. We'll get you out of here safely and escort you to see the sultan."

"Thank you. I regret that you can't arrest him now. He has much to answer for."

"He does." She agreed. "Are you two good to travel now? We need to get to the roof and over the wall before more of his men find a way back up here."

"We are ready to leave." The lord replied, Josh nodding too. "I am more than ready to be done with Lord Hench's hospitality."

"Follow us." Kim led them out of the room, ignoring the glare from Shego.

* * *

Shego felt a stab of irritation run through her as Josh helped Kim set up the camp that night. The lanky boy had stuck by Kim as much as possible, and the redhead had let him, pointedly ignoring her. Deep down, she knew it was partly her fault for not making the effort to talk with Kim earlier, but right now, she didn't care. Something about that boy bothered her a lot.

"This whole thing is sick-wrong." Ron spoke up from beside her. "I really don't trust those two."

"Tell me about it." The genie agreed. "What's got you so worried anyway? At least the boytoy isn't making nice with your girl."

"Both of them just happen to be in Hench's palace and know exactly what he's up to?" He pointed out. "And why were they travelling to the capital now anyway? Every other lord has holed up in their palace during all this chaos. They can hardly have missed Gemini's attempted coup. So why try for a trade deal now?"

"That... You have some good points, monkey boy." The green girl paused, thinking. "It is awfully convenient that Hench just happened to leave them there for us to find."

"Yeah. And I just know that _Lord Fiske_ ," He invested the name with loads of scorn. "is hiding something else. I dunno what, but call it a gut feeling."

"Not arguing with ya." Shego's eyes narrowed when Josh rested his hand on Kim's forearm briefly. "I'm really not liking this at all. So what's the plan?"

"You keep an eye on him, I'll watch Lord Fiske." Ron nodded to where the older man was discussing the outline of his trade deal with Yori. "When this all goes wrong, we back each other up?"

"Yeah, okay." The genie agreed. "Is there any way you could warn Kim away from him? She'll just think I'm jealous if I say anything."

"Well you totally are." The sandy haired boy nodded sagely.

"Not the point." Shego growled. "Will you?"

"I can try, but KP can be kinda stubborn." Ron sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Ron." The genie managed a small smile. "How are things going with Yori?"

"I... Good, I think. She volunteered to help me practice my new powers, and she's been hanging around when she can." He grinned. "I even cooked her dinner one night, just us two."

"Nice." She told him. "I'm glad one of us is having some luck."

"I'm sure things will work out for you, Shego."

"You've heard the stories, Ron." Shego shook her head and sighed sadly. "I'm the genie, it's everyone else who gets the happily ever after, not me."

* * *

Kim exhaled in relief when she spotted the comforting glow of the lights at the Senior's estate. They'd evaded Hench's patrols and made it across the river, but ever since then, they'd spotted dust in the distance, no doubt more of the rebel lord's men pursuing them. She'd pushed their small party hard, rushing to make it to safety.

"KP, please tell me we can stop for the night." Ron groaned. "I think all of us could do with a nice bed and some real food."

"Sorta the plan, Ron. I want to ask him if he can send a message on ahead anyway, have the sultan send some troops our way."

"Booyah! Lookin' forward to being the ones with all the troops helping for once."

"This Lord Senior, he's a friend?" Josh spoke up from beside her.

"Um, yeah, he hosted us on our way out." Kim told him, ignoring the glare Ron sent the other boy. She still didn't get why her best friend had such a problem with the prisoners they'd rescued, but ever since they'd found them, he'd kept a wary eye on the two.

"Sweet. I'm sure Uncle Monty will be glad to hear it." The boy frowned a little. "Do you think he'd let us send a message back home? Let everyone know we're okay, I mean?"

She watched the young man walk over to where his uncle was talking with Yori. "Kim, I know you don't want to hear this, but there's something seriously wrong with those two."

"You're right, Ron. I don't want to hear it." She walked away from him before she said something she'd regret. Between Shego being weird and avoiding her and a whole day of this nonsense from her best friend, Kim was tired of it all. She just wanted this mission done with.

Her eyes drifted to where Shego was sulking on a rock, shooting glares at Josh when she thought the boy wasn't looking. _Stupid genie. I... I think I like her, but how can I know if she won't give me a chance? Even though I know she wants to._ Her hands itched and before she knew it, she had her pack out and was digging through it for the lamp. She held it for a moment, her mind racing furiously. _She pulls this 'genie rules' nonsense on me... two can play that game!_

Kim caught Shego's eye and spoke up, somehow knowing the green girl would hear it. "I wish I knew those genie rules you told me about the other day."

" _Granted!_ " The reply came from two voices.

* * *

Ron spun around, dropping into his combat stance as he scanned for the source of the unfamiliar voice. A ring with a large sapphire that was spewing blue smoke rested half buried in the sand. The smoke sputtered and out stepped a young man. Even without the blue glow surrounding him, the resemblance to Shego was too obvious to miss.

"Doy, I was just wondering how today could get any worse." The green girl muttered loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Pleasant greetings to all! Never fear, Hego the genie is here to help!" Ron stared at the newcomer, vaguely aware that Josh and Lord Fiske were likewise completely stunned by the unexpected arrival. "Someone here wished for information on the laws and rules governing genies and their conduct?"

"Yeah, that would be the redhead, who really should know better than to _make stupid wishes with huge loopholes for things to go wrong!_ " Shego growled, frowning at Kim.

"Sister, you really should comport yourself better. It never hurts to be polite to the master of your lamp." Hego scolded her.

"And that's why you're here in a ring rather than your own lamp." She replied sarcastically.

"Uh... so you two are..." Ron spoke up.

"Right, introductions." The green girl sighed. "Hego, this is Kim, Ron and Yori. The two others behind the rock back there are Lord Fiske and Josh. Guys, this idiot is Hego, my brother." She faced the blue genie. "Please tell me Mego and the Wegos aren't with you too."

"Of course not. Obviously I am the only one who is needed to explain the proper rules and behavior governing the conduct of genies. I assume my sister failed to inform you of all the details?" Hego looked around and nodded to himself when no one spoke up. "Of course if she behaved like a proper genie, I wouldn't have to be here like this."

"I follow the rules... most of the time anyway!" Shego growled. "Just... hurry up and get this wish over with so you can go away. Far away."

"That is no way to speak to family, Shego." Hego frowned. "I see I'm going to have to do a lot of work here..."

* * *

"...and so that is why the limitation on wishes was put in place." Hego's voice droned on and on. "Now, we need to look at why lamps are the most common item chosen for genies..."

"I'm so bored." Ron yawned and Kim nodded agreement. Any chance at making progress towards the Senior's estate seemed pretty hopeless at the moment. The blue genie had been lecturing them for hours and yet showed no sign of stopping any time soon. Her friend turned to Shego. "Does he ever shut up?"

"Unfortunately, no." The green girl glared at Kim. "Why did you wish him here?"

"I didn't wish for him to appear." Kim shot back.

"What was your wish exactly? My magic reacted, but I couldn't hear it too well."

"I, ah, wanted to know what the rules for genies were." Kim squashed the growing embarrassment before the misplaced plasma powers could flare up.

"Why would you... oh. Oh!" Shego's face flushed. "You know, you could have just asked me."

"Maybe I would have, if you hadn't been avoiding me!" The redhead snapped.

"You weren't exactly eager to talk to me before. What's the matter, not getting along with your boytoy?"

"My... what?" Kim stared at the other girl.

"Uh, I'm gonna make sure Yori didn't fall asleep." Ron backed away from the two of them, though Kim was barely aware of him leaving.

"He is not my... my... Ugh, I can't believe you think I'd -" She could feel the anger rising inside herself. "You're the one who said we can't... can't..."

"I never said to latch onto the first new face we ran into!" Shego's voice sounded angry as well.

"Look, who I hang out with is my business, not yours." Kim declared.

"Fine, whatever." The genie turned away.

"Fine."

"Fine!"

In the midst of their argument, neither noticed a figure step out of the lengthening shadows and pick up the small ring resting forgotten on the sand...

* * *

Ron ducked under a blade that shot out from the wall, narrowly missing his head. He turned towards the main gate, but the massive doors swung shut with a loud thud. Guards wearing the colors of the Seniors leaped into position on the wall, levelling arrows at their team while the heroes were busy avoiding the traps in the courtyard. "What happened here?"

"How should I know?" Kim yelled back. "Everything looked normal on the way in!"

"Well, did you make any more wishes? Cause this is sick-wrong. We should be having dinner, not arrows." He worked his way towards where Kim and Yori were busy subduing a squad of guards trying to cut them off from cover.

"No, I didn't make any more wishes." The redhead glared at the green girl who was just joining them. "Unless _someone_ decided to grant some for free..."

"Hey, this is not me. Can't even sense any magic here at all. Whatever happened is all mortal." The genie growled back. "So you can stop blaming me, cupcake."

"Right, the one friendly lord in the area decides to go crazy in the space of a few days and you have nothing to do with it?" His best friend replied sarcastically.

"Uh, can you two stop fighting and... um, fight?" Ron gestured at the massing guards preparing to rush them.

Kim dropped into her fighting stance but let out a pained yelp as green fire erupted from her fists. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her hands to her chest, but her friends had no time to check on her. The guards took advantage of their distraction and rushed the teens.

Ron ached to help Kim, but there were too many guards attacking. He called forth his monkey magic, the familiar yet still creepy sensation flowing through him...

* * *

Lord Fiske watched the unfolding battle from the hill outside the gate, his critical eye following the four heroes as they regrouped at the gate. He was about to turn away and prepare to break camp and return home, when something caught his gaze. A faint glow surrounded Ron Stoppable.

His eyes narrowed. He had never seen it before, but here it was. Jack Hench had not lied to him, it seemed. Someone had indeed claimed the Mystical Monkey Magic. The legends were true. His life's goal was within reach, and it was wasted on an unworthy youth who despised the blessing he'd received.

He turned to his 'nephew', keeping the majority of his attention on the fight below. "Give me the ring, boy. I know you took it."

"No way, dude. I need something to give Hench." Josh stepped away from him.

"I don't care." Fiske glared at the boy. "I have no interest in whatever little deal you may have made with Hench, nor that you failed in breaking Possible away from her team. You will give me that ring, now. After I make my wish, you can have it back."

"Fine, it's on your head." The boy pulled the ring from his belt pouch and tossed it over. "Hench warned us about making wishes."

"Hench wants no competition. And unlike you, I am not afraid to seize my destiny." He slipped the ring on his finger and rubbed the gem.

"Hego the genie is here!" Blue smoke swirled out from the gem. "The master of the ring may have three wishes, and only three. Also, the following rules apply-"

"I suffered through your moronic lecture the first time, you blue fool. Be silent and hear my wish." Fiske interrupted the genie. "I wish that I too possessed the Mystical Monkey Magic, with full control over that power."

"Granted." The blue boy frowned. Streams of blue magic glowed in the fading light and shot towards Fiske, crawling up his legs. The power bit into him, digging in deep, and the ring tumbled off his finger, once again landing on the sand...

* * *

Ron paused after dropping the guard who'd been fighting him, his monkey powers demanding attention. He looked around, but couldn't spot any threat that warranted such a strong reaction from his unwanted magic. Still, the flaring glow of the power surrounding him drove the remaining guards back a few paces and let him reach Kim to check on her.

The redhead gasped and staggered to her feet with his assistance. Her eyes watered up as she met his gaze. "It's getting worse, Ron. And this time, I wasn't even embarrassed."

"Will you be okay, KP?" He shared a worried look with Shego, who'd also rushed over during the lull of combat. The green girl tentatively reached out to comfort the shorter girl, but Kim's glare made it clear that their earlier argument hadn't been forgotten.

"It feels stronger than last time... _gyaaahhh!_ " Kim clutched her arms again, the fire flaring up. "Make... make it stop..." The anger drained from her expression as she pleaded to Shego.

"You gotta do something!" Ron reluctantly stood up and resumed his combat stance as a fresh wave of guards emerged from the barracks. "Shego, help her."

He advanced to rejoin Yori, and the two of them worked together to hold off the guards. They fought off two more waves before a loud crash shook the courtyard. Stones tumbled from the wall and a gaping hole opened up in it. As the dust settled, a man emerged from the cloud, pointing at Ron. "Pretender! Surrender your power to Monkey Fist!"

"Snap! Is that Lord Fiske?" He stared at the lord, noting the now-monkey-like hands and feet. He was so caught up studying the new intruder that the lord's attack almost caught him off guard. "Dude! What happened to you?"

"I have claimed the destiny you are too scared to embrace!" Fiske landed easily, focusing on him. "Once I defeat you, I alone will wield the Mystical Monkey Magic. I alone will control the Han!"

Yori paled, then her face flushed with anger and she lauched the most undisciplined attack Ron had ever seen her perform. "You dishonorable scum will not have my sister!"

"What?" Ron stared at Yori before leaping in to help her. Lord Fiske - Monkey Fist as he'd named himself - fell back before their combined assault. Ron focused on covering Yori, as all her attention was on the evil lord.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Shego watched her friends attack Monkey Fist. "I haven't known her that long, but I don't think I've ever seen ninja girl freak like that."

"I'm not - _gnyyayh_ \- not sure either. Yori has always been the calm, in contol one of us." Kim replied, wincing as another wave of fire flickered across her skin. Shego noted that at least it did seem to be fading. Another couple of minutes and Kim would be okay for now, if she had the chance to recover.

Belatedly, Shego also noted that the guards had fallen back, watching them but making no move to interfere. "Uh, cupcake, why are the guards not attacking us right now?"

"Because I ordered them to stand down. Combat with you now, while Miss Possible is seriously injured from another source would be regrettable. Also, I must admit a certain distaste for this new interloper who is wrecking my home." A cultured voice spoke up from the doorway nearby. Lord Senior's gaze settled on Monkey Fist and his brow furrowed in anger. "Would a truce in order to deal with a greater threat be acceptable to you, Miss Possible?"

"Uh..." Kim looked just as confused as Shego felt for a moment before smiling at the older lord. "A truce would be good, please and thank you."

"Excellent. In anticipation, I sent Junior to summon the doctor. He should be here momentarily." Lord Senior bowed to them. "Please accept my apologies. Had I known you would be attacked like this, I would have saved my death traps and ambushes for your next visit."

"Wait, you want to help us despite trying to have us killed just a few minutes ago?" The genie stared skeptically at the older lord.

"Oh, that was not serious. I was intrigued by Mr Stoppable's stories and wished to try my hand at such endeavours. I have been bored recently and searching for purpose, and I had every confidence that you four could have easily dealt with such simple obstacles." The lord graciously offered Kim a hand up.

"That's - You mortals are so weird." Shego shook her head tiredly. "You're serious about the truce thing?"

"Of course." Lord Senior smiled tightly. "We have a common enemy now, after all."

* * *

 _Next Chapter: The fight between the monkey masters continues! More wishes go wrong._

* * *

 _A/N: For story purposes, Hanna is Yori's sister, not Ron's. Though the Monkey Master will still need to help guide her!_

 _Also, I had to have SSS show up again. I like having him as that whole polite, honorable villain._


	9. Ch 9 - Wish Your Troubles Away

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 9 - Wish Your Troubles Away

* * *

Kim stumbled to her feet, the pain from the plasma finally fading down to a manageable level. Shego hovered nearby, keeping an eye on her. Part of her was grateful for that while another part was irritated that the green girl had taken it on herself to babysit her unasked. She could deal with this sitch just fine.

" _Give me your power!_ " Monkey Fist roared from beyond the broken wall.

" _Dude, why would you want this on purpose?"_ Ron answered back.

"Shego, let me go, we gotta help!" She tried to free her arm from the genie's grasp.

"Kimmie, you need to rest. My fire... it keeps hurting you, I know you can't be all right after what just happened." The green girl stopped her. "I'll go help him in a minute, but you need to rest. Please."

"I can't just sit here and not help." Kim complained.

"Then go keep watch and make sure the monkey moron is the only new problem we have to deal with." The genie pointed to a nearby tower. "He got his power from somewhere, so either my idiot brother misplaced his ring, or there's someone else out there with magic."

"That... makes more sense that I like right about now." Kim frowned. "I don't like it, but you're right, Shego. It's necessary."

"While you're at it, can you remember anything about this 'Han' thing Fiske and Yori were talking about?" Shego asked her as they scanned the landscape outside the mansion. "It sounds... well, I don't want to say familiar, but I'd swear it sounds like something I've heard before. Something from my world, the magic world."

"I don't know." The redhead tried to recall all the lessons she'd had over the years. "I'd say ask Yori about it, but it seems like a touchy subject with her. When we get back to the palace maybe we can ask Wade or the sultan. One of them is bound to know something about this."

"Yeah, the way she flipped out, it's gotta be serious." The genie shook her head. "I'm not sensing anything in terms of magic, besides the two monkey guys down there."

"Not seeing anything else either. And it looks like Lord Senior is keeping his word. His guys fell back and they're stabling our horses." Kim eyed where they'd left their... 'ex-prisoners' for lack of a better word. She couldn't spot any sign of Josh. Perhaps he hadn't known what his uncle intended...

* * *

Ron pressed the attack on Monkey Fist, trying to take down the crazy lord as quickly as possible. He didn't understand why Yori was so furious, but he needed to keep the attention on him, as her reckless attacks were leaving holes in her defenses. "Look, what is this all about? Why attack us? We saved you from Jack Hench!"

"Saved me? Are you that much of a fool?" The lord smiled contemptously at him. "He's the one who promised me this power to begin with. I merely decided to not rely on his word and take my destiny into my own hands."

"Yeah, but what does this have to do with this 'Han' thing?" Ron ducked a kick and rolled towards the lord, sending a series of punches flying at his head.

"Hench thinks money is power. He thinks if he gets enough money and men, he can do anything he wants." Monkey Fist posed, letting his power flare. "Once I control the Han, I will control destiny itself!"

"Never!" Yori snarled and leaped past Ron, slashing out with her blade. Blood trickled from the long gash she opened on the lord's forearm.

The lord frowned slightly, then punched quicker than Ron could track even with his monkey magic. Yori let out a pained gasp and collapsed to the floor, pained. Monkey Fist was about to attack again when Ron threw himself between the two of them. He knocked away the next blow aimed at the fallen ninja and glared at the lord.

"Okay, so not caring to play nice anymore." Ron let the monkey magic flare up even higher, wanting to finish the fight as quickly as possible. "I'm ending this."

"You can't - _ugh_!" Monkey Fist grunted as Ron drove an elbow into his gut. He tried to kick the blond boy's feet out from under him, but he leaped over the attack.

"Can too." His kick sent the lord reeling backwards.

"My destiny will not be denied!" He roared, picking himself up off the ground and advancing on Ron.

"Yeah, well, deny." The younger monkey master blocked the attack and landed a few blows of his own on the lord. "No destiny for you."

"I will be the true monkey master!" Monkey Fist lurched towards him once more.

Ron waited until the enemy was nearly on him before before kicking the older man's ankle. Monkey Fist stumbled past him and collapsed. Before his opponent could recover, Ron grabbed him, immobilizing him. "It's over, surrender."

"I will never stop!" He struggled, but Ron maintained the hold.

"Dude, just give up already." He looked around, wanting something to secure the prisoner. He spotted some rope amidst the rubble a few feet away and snagged it, tying the lord's hands. He left the prisoner there and went over to check on Yori, but made sure to keep an eye on the captured enemy.

The ninja had mostly recovered by this time and was getting to her feet awkwardly. She pulled her dagger and advanced on the captive, anger still marring her face. "Whoah, time out Yori." Ron stepped between them.

"He... I cannot let him threaten my sister!" She growled.

"It's done. He can't hurt anyone now." He put his hand on the hilt of her knife. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"Ron, I..." The ninja tried to get by him one more time, then gave up, sinking against him in an awkward embrace. "I want... I want..."

"It's okay, really. It's over now." He hugged her. "We won."

She held onto him for a while before finally stepping back a pace. "Thank you."

"This was a team effort, Yori. We took him down together, you don't have to thank me."

"I did not mean that. Thank you for stopping me at the end." She squeezed his hand. "I will not forget this."

* * *

"So what're you gonna do with him? Throw him in jail or a zoo?" Shego asked them when they regrouped.

"Eh, I'm sure the sultan can figure out something to do with him." Ron shrugged. "If she can handle her brother, I'm sure monkey freak won't be too much trouble."

"Did he say where he got his powers? I mean, I'm pretty sure that he got my idiot brother's ring, but it'd still be nice to know." The genie sighed. "I just know he's gonna blame me for this one too."

"He hasn't said much aside from some crazy rants about his destiny. Had to gag him after the third one." He turned to Kim. "How about you? Did you get that fire problem under control? Are ya feeling better?"

"I am, thanks." She smiled weakly at her friend. "Whatever happened, it's gone now and I feel fine."

Shego eyed the redhead, and from the way Ron stared at her, she knew he too was aware the other girl was lying about how she was feeling. She glared at the shorter girl until Kim shrugged guiltily. "Okay, maybe not fine, but I can deal with this sitch for now. It's not like I have any other options."

"Snap... Well, hopefully Wade or the sultan have some answers for us when we get back." He stood up. "I'm gonna go check on Yori then make sure Monkey Fist is secure. Are we really staying here for tonight?"

"Yeah, Lord Senior seems pretty serious about honoring the truce. Besides," Kim grinned. "He said he wanted to talk with you about ideas for some new death traps over dinner."

"I so don't get how you can think this is funny." Ron replied as he got up to leave the room.

"He's bored and not actually evil. Besides, he's been honest with us. Guy's got class." Shego answered before Kim had a chance. "Plus, this beats camping any day. I heard he's even gonna use some of your recipes."

"Booyah!" The sandy blond smiled.

When he was out of the room, Shego sat down next to Kim. "Okay, we've got a couple hours until we're expected at dinner, why don't you rest some, Cupcake?"

"I'm not tired." The redhead protested around a yawn. Shego stared flatly at her and she relented. "Fine, I might be a little tired."

"Kimmie, there's nothing that needs doing right now, so please, be smart about this. Get some rest while you can." The genie leaned against the door, making it clear that she wouldn't let it open easily.

"You swear you don't know anything about why this is getting worse?" Kim frowned at her fist, as if she expected the plasma to flare up again.

"Because it's magic. It can't exist in the mortal world without a price." Shego spoke quietly. "Especially since it's... misplaced."

"So..." Kim stared to the side, lost in thought.

"It's trying to get back to me." The genie guessed. "That's why the reactions are getting stronger. So please, just rest for a bit. You need to be as strong as you can to keep it under wraps."

Shego worried when Kim kept flicking her eyes over towards her from time to time. Clearly, the redhead had an idea about something, and Shego was pretty sure what. She could only hope that the other girl hadn't paid much attention to Hego's boring speech...

* * *

"I assume that since you're here, you have the lamp for me, thief?" Jack Hench raised an eyebrow at the young man standing before his throne. "That was our deal, after all."

"I don't have the lamp." Josh told him smugly. "But there was another genie, Hego, this one in a ring, who was an idiot and left it sitting around. Much easier to grab."

"I see... And the other matter?"

"Didn't work." He shrugged. "She was friendly, but not interested. I didn't really see any safe way to ask about the other thing. I figured it was better to get out with the ring than stay and get caught."

"Disappointing." Hench replied. "At least I will have my wishes, despite you not getting the lamp. You understand this failure means your pay will be reduced?"

"Yeah, about that..." Josh grinned. "I think we need to renegotiate my fees. After all, what you're currently paying me is just too small. It makes me think of risking some wishes of my own. Don't you agree?"

"You're playing a dangerous game, Mankey." The lord gritted his teeth. Why did amateurs always insist on being stupid? "Hand it over and I'll forget about this little incident."

"Oh, it's not on me. I left it somewhere nice and safe, and it's going to stay there until I get what I want." The thief gloated.

"And what do you want?" Hench asked tightly.

"Obviously, a real genie is worth far more than the mere thirty thousand you promised. That number needs to be much, much bigger." The boy paused. "Oh, and that 'uncle' you stuck me with talked about estates, trade caravans, stuff like that. I'd really like for that to be more than just a cover story for me."

"Anything else?" The thief failed to notice the dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Nah, I think that's it for now." Josh looked to the door. "Though I could really use some tea..."

Hench gave a small wave and one of his guards slipped out the door, only to return a few minutes later with a pot of tea and three cups. The thief frowned at that. "Uh, were you expecting someone else?"

"It's funny, if you think about it." The lord mused. "I planned on simply paying you and letting you go, as you really weren't worth my time to deal with and an amount like thirty thousand is trivial for me. But you see, you present me with two problems. First, you challenge my authority, and I can't have that. I don't mind a little initiative at times, but not from someone who failed in his basic instructions."

The thief gulped and Hench continued. "The other problem is that I specified the lamp for several reasons. It's not just about the wishes. I have other allies, and that lamp, as well as the staff you didn't bother to try to steal, are important to maintaining those alliances." Hench snapped his fingers, and once again the door opened, this time the guard stepping aside to admit someone else to the room.

" **Your little thief failed? Pitiful.** " Avarius strode into the room. " **You disappoint me, Hench.** "

"Have some patience, my friend. You will have your staff back, as promised." Hench smiled. "And while he might not have gotten Shego for you, he has her brother's ring."

" **Hego... Yes, that fool has opposed me for too long. If I can't have his sister, he will have to do.** " The ifrit turned his burning red gaze towards Josh. " **Give Hench the ring, boy**."

"I..." The thief gulped. "Not without my money!"

" **You did not retrieve my staff, you brought the wrong genie. You have no bargaining power.** "

"If it's so important to you, why don't you just get it back... or do you just stand around and look intimidating?" Josh tried to look intimidating, but failed as the other two didn't seem to be threatened.

" **Hench, I will honor our bargain, but until you provide me with the staff and Shego, I will make do with Hego. I want this business done with as quickly as possible."** The ifrit growled. " **I will even agree to assisting your men in battle against the sultan, provided it is done soon!** "

"I'll send out orders to the troops tonight. Avarius, I find I no longer need this thief so you may... 'renegotiate' with him as you like, just be sure to get the location of the ring. If we are going to take down Betty and get the staff back for you, we'll need a genie of our own." He paused at the door. "Try not to make too much of a mess."

* * *

"What's up, KP?" Ron asked her as they rode on towards the capital. She'd wanted to talk to him earlier, but he'd been off with Yori and she hadn't wanted to disturb them.

"Um, Ron, when you use your monkey powers, do they hurt you or anything?" She asked. It was part of what she wanted to know, part of what she'd spent most of last night thinking about.

"Nah, but they still feel sick-wrong, y'know? Why did it have to be monkeys?" He shivered. "Plus, it's still kinda random and all. I hate that I can't seem to control it. It just... happens."

"I see..." Kim frowned. "And Fiske... it's obvious what he paid for his powers. At least you're not stuck looking like half a monkey forever."

"No kidding. I don't think I could handle having my feet turned into... that." Ron grimaced.

"So it's true." She spoke quietly. "What she said.

"What did who say?" Her best friend looked confused. "I'm a bit lost here."

"Shego. She told me that magic can't exist in the mortal world without a price." Kim replied. "That's why the fire that gem stuck me with hurts me so much. That's why your power is monkeys. Why his feet are monkey paws."

"Yeah, but Shego's here and she's-"

"Bound to her lamp." She finished for him.

Ron was silent beside her for a time. "That tanks."

"Yeah."

"Do... you think that's why she wont, y'know... you and her..." He turned red. "Sorry KP, shutting up now."

"No, that's kinda the same thing I've been thinking. I wi-" Kim caught herself before the wrong word came out. "I _probably_ _should have_ paid better attention to her brother when he was talking, but..."

"Dude, I'd rather have the monkey powers going than listen to that again." Ron agreed. "He could put rocks to sleep."

"So yeah, I guess... I mean, if she's stuck bound to the lamp and someone else gets it... Gah, this whole sitch is a mess. Why can't I do anything to... deal with this?" She stared at the ground, frustrated. "Anything is possible for a Possible, so why can't I..."

"KP, why don't you just wish her to stay?"

"No!" Her refusal was louder than expected, causing even Yori, who was scouting up ahead to look back at them. "Force her to stay? That's... I can't do that, Ron. Not to her. Not like this. I want her to stay because she wants to, not because I make her. And what if I got it wrong? You should know better than anyone that wishes never work out like you intend."

"Then what're ya gonna do?" He asked.

"Not a clue..." Kim sighed. "How do I make it work when the whole world is against us?"

* * *

Shego pulled up alongside her friends, tired of hanging back knowing that they were talking about her. Kim gulped and looked to the side, but at least she didn't pull away this time. "Yeah, that's right, can't talk about me anymore, not without getting uncomfortable or anything. Wouldn't want Cupcake to get embarrassed and flare up. Not when we're so close."

"Shego, we weren't..." Kim started, but the genie cut her off with a wave.

"Save it, Pumpkin." Shego ignored her glare and returned one of her own. "I know this sucks, but it's how it has to be."

"Then why? Why lead me on? Why be nice to me and then push me away?" Kim demanded. "Why make me like you and tell me there's no hope? Do you hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you!" Shego's voice rose to match the redhead's.

"So why not try at least? There has to be some way around all those rules. You can't make me think... make me feel this way and tell me to just forget it and make it go away!" The shorter girl's face darkened, and the genie could see her hands starting to glow a little.

"Kimmie, calm down." The green girl didn't want to see her... friend hurt again because the fire flared up.

"I think I've been plenty calm. I'm tired of this. Tired of you trying to protect me from everything!" Kim shouted.

"Uh, KP, maybe you should..." Ron tried to get between them, but neither girl paid him any attention.

"I can't keep doing this. It hurts, and I don't mean this damn fire. I want it to stop or get better, or... or... something. I like you so much, Shego." The genie's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Kim continued. "I can't help it, and you alternating between being nice to me and pushing me away... it's too much!"

"I can't help it either. I tried so hard not to like you, Kim. I really did." Shego confessed. "I still... you don't understand _. I. CAN'T_."

"Then I wish you'd just go away!" Kim screamed.

 _Granted_... The word echoed in her mind as her magic ripped her away...

* * *

"Ron, is Kim-san going to be all right?" The ninja asked him.

"Not a clue." He eyed the redhead riding a slight distance behind them. She barely seemed aware of her surroundings, let alone what they were discussing. After a search of the area revealed that neither Shego nor the lamp was anywhere nearby, they'd reluctantly continued on towards the capital, needing to deliver Monkey Fist to prison and warn the sultan about Hench's massing army.

Kim had been silent since just after the wish, looking almost broken to Ron. She'd hunted desperately for the lamp, but found no trace of it. When they'd had to leave, Ron got her on her horse and she just shut down.

"I've never seen her like this. I'm really worried." He admitted.

"She looks..." The ninja began.

"Broken." Ron finished for her.

"Yes." Yori frowned. "I did not hear much, but I assume they had an argument that ended badly?"

"Very badly." He winced. "Kim got upset and made a wish by accident."

"And so Shego..."

"Got wished away." Ron continued. "She tried to take it back, but yeah... too late."

"What do we do?" Yori asked. "This is something I am pretty sure I never trained for."

"Not a clue." He repeated. "I really, really hope the sultan or Wade can come up with an answer, or I'm worried what's gonna happen to her."

They rode on, making sure to keep close to Kim, who still wasn't responding to anything. The redhead followed them but was still lost in a daze. Ron tried to talk with her a few times, but didn't get any replies. Even Yori made a few attempts, though she had no more luck than he did.

* * *

Jack Hench eyed the ring on his hand for a moment before rubbing the gem on it. A cloud of blue smoke billowed out before forming into a figure. So the thief hadn't lied about this at least. He had his own genie at last.

"Greetings, mortal! I am Hego the genie. I am here to grant you three wishes and-"

" **Yes, we are aware of the rules, you blue fool.** " Avarius growled, stepping from the shadows and favoring the genie with a predatory grin. " **Hurry up, Hench. I am looking forward to you no longer needing him.** "

"Avarius!" The genie gasped, stepping back. He looked at Hench. "You allied yourself with this monster? What kind of villain are you?"

"The villain who owns your ring." Hench smiled. "Now, I know all about your genie rules, so I think it's only fair that I tell you mine. You see, my friend here has some business with your sister, but he's willing to settle for you if necessary." The genie gulped and Hench continued. "Now, I know all about how wishes tend to go wrong, so here's my deal for you - you do your best to make sure that nothing goes wrong with my wishes and I don't hand you over to my colleague when I'm done. Does that sound good to you, genie?"

"I..."

" **Let me have him, Hench.** "

"Well, genie? Do we have a deal?" Hench waited for the genie to nod. "Good, then for my first wish. I wish I had the staff that Avarius the ifrit intended to use against Shego."

"Granted." The genie gulped as the staff materialized in front of them. Hench picked it up and tried to hand it to Avarius but the ifrit was unable to touch it.

"This doesn't seem like cooperation, genie." Hench glared at the blue man.

"My sister's magic is stopping him from touching it. One wish can't cancel out another."

" **He is a fool, but he's not lying. We will have to find another way. Still, you have honored your promise, Hench. I am leaving to join your troops.** " The ifrit snarled and stormed out of the room.

"I suppose if you can't interfere with your sister's wishes, you also can't get me her lamp?" He waited for the genie to confirm it. "I figured as much. Very well, my second wish. I wish that I had power to challenge whatever forces the sultan might put in my way, including your sister and any other magical allies she might have."

"Granted." Hench smiled broadly as the sense of power flowed through him. He felt stronger, better than he ever had in years. He looked down at himself. No unsightly body changes, no weird skin colors, no other problems. Experimentally, he punched the wall next to himself, smashing through the wall with ease.

"Excellent. As for the third wish..." The genie paled. "I think I'll wait on that for now. Best to have an ace in the hole."

* * *

Shego sat down on the rock, staring out across the seemingly endless desert. Her lamp had landed in the middle of the sand, dragging her with it.

" _I wish you'd just go away!"_ Kim's angry, hurt face flashed through her mind.

Shego turned to face east. She could still feel the redhead in her mind, tugging at her. "Damn it, I'm such an idiot." She leaned back. "I should have told her the truth."

She sighed. "But then she'd just try to find some way around it, and there isn't one. She can't live in the magic realm, and I can't stay here, not without..."

The genie spoke quietly. "...Without giving up my magic forever."

* * *

 _Next Chapter: Endgame!_

* * *

 _A/N 1: So yeah... finally got to the scene that sorta got me started on writing this in the first place. Kim gets mad, makes the really, really wrong wish and we end up here._

 _A/N 2: The next update is... unknown. With Thanksgiving as well as some R/L stuff I have to deal with, it might be a while and I don't want to make any promises. Sorry!_


	10. Ch 10 - The Final Wish

**Sitch of a Wish**

Chapter 10 - The Final Wish

* * *

Sultan Betty brought Ron and Yori into her office to debrief them. She had taken one look at Kim and sent the redhead off to wait while she found out the story. The story came out in bits and pieces, and only once did she have to stop the summary when Yori talked about the Han. While she trusted Ron, _that_ little secret had to remain close still for the time being, at least until she could talk with Yori privately.

Once they were finished, the sultan sat back, considering everything she'd been told. "This complicates things greatly. Jack Hench undoubtedly has a genie of his own by now while we have lost ours. Not only that, but Miss Possible is out of commission with no idea for how long."

"Yeah, sorry." Ron looked dejected. "We really screwed up this one."

"Mr Stoppable, you did the best you could. You had no way to account for a second genie or this crazy Lord Fiske or anything else that happened on your mission. And while you might not have caught Jack Hench, you brought back warning of his forces gathering. As for Kim..."

She paused, her eye narrowing. "You are not to mention this to Miss Possible, but Mr Load did indeed manage to find some answers in that book we wished up. Answers that make it imperative we retrieve Shego. And we have a week at most to do it."

"A week? Why? What happens in a week?" The monkey master demanded.

"You told me the fire powers are surging in her stronger than before?" Betty waited for his nod. "It's only going to get worse from here. And since the staff somehow disappeared from the vault it was being kept it, we'll need a direct connection to get the magic out of Kim and back into Shego."

"The staff is gone? How did the guards let it vanish?" Yori asked. "Captain Du has trained them well, how would a thief get past them?"

"Since there was no sign of entry, I think we'll have to go with 'magic' on this one." She dismissed it with a wave. "Regardless, we don't have it, so that means other measures. I have Mr Load researching various methods to transfer power."

"Can Wade do anything to help us find Shego?" Ron asked.

"I haven't asked him yet, but I have some ideas on that. One of your wishes made it so she could sense Kim somehow?"

"Yeah, didn't really work out how I thought it would."

"Don't trouble yourself too much, but if I'm right, we might be able to use that link to find our wayward genie." Betty tapped a map on the table. "If it still exists, we can trace it back to Shego. At least, that's my hope."

"Okay, that makes sense." Ron agreed.

"What if Shego-san does not wish to return with us?" Yori spoke up. "She and Kim-san did not part on good terms."

"I think she'd want to help save Kim's life." The sultan replied. "Don't you?"

* * *

Jack Hench rode up next to where Avarius was pacing. "So, my friend, are you ready for this?"

" **Of course. I am tired of the mortal realm. I want to be done with this.** " The ifrit growled. " **You remember your part with the staff? I will not have Shego getting away again!** "

"If only there was some way around the other wish, this would be so much easier.

" **It does not matter. I will have Shego's power and you will get her lamp afterwards.** "

"Indeed." Hench smiled and gestured to his general. "Let's get this war started."

* * *

"Word from the sultan!" The guard gasped as he ran up to where Ron was training with Captain Du. The sultan had sent him here while she debriefed Yori privately and examined Kim. He didn't like leaving his friends, but at the same time, it had been nice to work off some frustrations. "Jack Hench has crossed the border with three legions! You're summoned to join her and Princess Yori in the war room! You too, Captain!"

"Snap!" He turned and bowed briefly to Captain Du, who was training with him. "Didja think he was gonna move so fast?"

"We examined that scenario but deemed it unlikely. Given his past behavior, Lord Hench was predicted to withdraw and wait for another troublemaker to pop up and instigate something." The guard captain reported. "Direct action is highly unusual for him."

"Captain, what about our lives has ever been anything other than 'highly unusual'?" He asked.

"I dislike this recent excess of chaos. It's... untidy." Du followed along.

"Untidy, yeah, so not the first word I'd go with." Ron ran on. "Complete mess sounds more like it."

The sultan impatiently waved them over to the map table in the middle of the room. "Gentlemen, I'll save the small details for later, but the basic situation is that our border has been breached in at least three places, possibly more. Thanks to Drakken and Gemini's mischief earlier, we're outnumbered at least two to one. Worse, reports have come in that Hench's forces are supported by magic, type unknown."

"That... yeah, best guess it's something from Shego's brother. If Hench has the ring, he's definitely used it. That or it's some other weirdo, cause it's not like there's been a shortage of that recently." He replied.

"Mr Stoppable, you are going to take Yori and Miss Possible and find our wayward genie." Sultan Betty gestured to where Kim sat in the chair, still looking lost.

"Uh, Sultan... are ya sure KP is okay to travel? She looks... well, not good, ya know?"

"Mr Load says you'll need her to find Shego. He's finishing up a device that should be able to use Kim's link to locate her - Yori's picking it up now. Not to mention, if we're going to cure Kim without that staff, they'll need to be close." She handed him a sealed scroll. "This has instructions on how to transfer the power back. Do NOT open it. What's inside is for Shego."

"Ooohkay. Secret message for the genie, got it." He slipped the scroll in his pack. "I'll make sure she gets it."

Sultan Betty nodded to him. "I know you will. Once you have her back and Miss Possible cured, I'll need you to find and neutralize the source of Jack Hench's magic. I'm going to stay and brief Captain Du on the military side of things now, so get moving. Good luck."

"I think we'll all need some luck." He bowed to her.

* * *

"Ron, how can I ever apologize to her for this?" Kim spoke up for the first time in days. While he was thrilled that she was finally responding, Ron couldn't help note how bleak her tone was. "I..." She trailed off and that lost look threatened to take over again.

"KP..." He wasn't sure what to say. "I know you really like her, and that's why you got so mad at her. And I know she feels for you too. So start with the wish, tell me what really happened."

"I asked her why... why we couldn't be... y'know, 'us', and she just said it was against the rules. I think I know why she kept saying she can't." Kim replied dully.

"Oh?" He asked.

"Yeah, she kept saying that magic can't exist without a price. Maybe... maybe a genie can't live here without a lamp? Or her powers?" Her voice dropped. "Maybe she's right. Maybe there is no chance for us."

"KP, aren't you the one who always says that 'anything is possible for a Possible'?" Ron countered. "There's gotta be a way around this, and if anyone can make it happen, it's you."

"But how? I'm pretty sure I can't live in the magic world, and she can't live here without her lamp. And that's if she even forgives me. Considering what I did, that's unlikely. Highly unlikely." Kim sighed.

"You could start by telling her this after you say you're sorry." He shrugged.

"I'm such an idiot." She hugged herself.

"Yeah, this time you kinna are." He grinned at her surprise. "But I think she loves you, and you keep telling me that I can make it work with Yori. So I'm sure you can handle this."

"She loves me?" Kim looked a little shocked.

"Well, when she looks at you, she gets that expression you always tease me for having around Yori." He commented lightly. "So yeah, I'd say she does."

His friend glanced down, and when she spoke again, he was sure her whisper wasn't meant for him. "I'm so sorry, Shego..."

* * *

Hench waited while Avarius strode up to him. The ifrit didn't bother with any pleasantries when he arrived. **"Hench, Shego is on the move. I can sense her plasma power faintly to the south. It is moving southwest, deeper into the desert.** "

"Ah... I was wondering when Betty would send her out to play. I assume they're trying to flank us." The lord mused. He worried that Avarius would simply leave once he had the genie's power, but at the same time, this opportunity was too good to miss. If he could take out Betty's elite troops... "Let me pass on some orders and gather a proper guard, and we'll intercept them."

" **I am looking forward to this.** " Avarius growled.

"As am I. Without her elite, Betty will fall easily." Hench smiled grimly.

* * *

Shego sat up from the rock she'd been lounging on. With no one currently the master of her lamp, she was stuck here until someone found it. Not for the first time recently, she cursed the genie rules that bound her. If only...

She could feel Kim closing in on her position. For the past day or so, the sense of the redhead had grown stronger and stronger. At the rate her presence was gaining, Shego estimated that Kim would be here in an hour at most. That gave her some time to think.

Part of her wished - and she was painfully aware of the irony in the thought - that she could leave, go back to the magic world and never come back. She never thought that she could hurt so much, but every time she remembered Kim's angry face as she made that wish, the pain flared up again. She wanted it all to stop hurting, to stop tormenting her.

Another part wanted to see her Princess more than anything. She'd never really had friends before her lamp was found. After listening to Hego's 'proper conduct and responsibilities for genies' for years on end, she'd done her best to avoid other genies. When she'd gotten assigned to a lamp in a cave that no one ever visited, she'd been thrilled. She'd loved having nothing to do beyond cater to her own desires.

Then Kim had found the lamp. She'd followed the redhead at first only because she had to, her slipup with the number of wishes aggravating her more than usual. But the more time she spent with the shorter girl, the more she found that it wasn't so bad. Once they started sparring together, it got even better. Kim was smart, fun, brave, amazingly talented... She had unlimited wishes, but she did her best not to take advantage of that. And sure, she could be reckless and impulsive at times, but Shego found that attractive too.

So that left her... here. Kim was on the way to her, and she wasn't sure how she should be feeling about it. She watched the small speck on the horizon grow as it approached her, and her mind kept working furiously...

* * *

Kim perked up when she spotted the genie, but that feeling didn't last, crushed down by a wave of guilt. Shego was lounging on a rock, and while Kim wasn't close enough to see her as more than a green dot, she was sure that the other girl was aware that they were here. She wanted to see her. She could only hope that Shego accepted her apology. And she was prepared to do some grovelling and begging if necessary.

"KP, is that..." Ron asked.

"Yeah, it's Shego." She confirmed.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Not even a little bit." She gulped. "Okay, I'm so ready. I... I want to tell her I'm sorry. I need..."

"It'll be okay. I know it." He smiled reassuringly.

"I'm scared, Ron." She admitted quietly.

"You can do this, KP."

"I have to." Kim returned her attention to where Shego sat waiting for them. The genie hadn't moved, in fact she'd lounged back on the rock, purposely ignoring them. The lamp glinted in the sunlight next to her, laying there toppled over, waiting for someone to pick it up. Kim hated it, hated that the person she cared deeply about could be controlled by that stupid lamp.

"Well, well..." The genie frowned at them as soon as they got close. "I was just wondering who would find my lamp, and here you guys are."

"Shego..." Kim stepped forward hesitantly. "I..."

"I _wish_ ," Shego growled, emphasizing the word bitterly. "I wish you could know what it's like, knowing how much it hurts to have to live with these stupid rules."

"Shego, please." Kim dropped down, standing in front of her. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the genie. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about this. I was upset and I said... I wasn't careful. I... I screwed up."

"Kimmie..." The genie's face softened for a moment before her frown reappeared.

"Please, I know I don't deserve it, but I'm sorry and all I can do is ask for your forgiveness." She sat down next to the genie, waiting.

The green girl stayed silent for a while, and Kim worried what she was going to say. She looked up to where Yori and Ron waited a few paces away. "Could... you guys give us a minute?"

"Ah yeah, sure, no big." The blond led the ninja back to where the horses waited. "We'll just be over here."

"Shego, I really wi-" She caught herself and started again. "I keep replaying that moment and I would give anything to change what happened. Anything. I think I finally understand what you kept trying to tell me. About what it would cost."

"Kimmie, I..." The green girl finally smiled at her. It was small and timid, but there nonetheless. "I wanted to tell you, but I was worried that you... if you knew..." She paused. "And it's okay, I do forgive-"

" **SHEGO!** " A loud roar interrupted them as a red blur sped towards the rock.

* * *

" _ **SHEGO!**_ " Ron winced at the yell and stepped away from where he'd been holding Yori's hand. He recognized the grating voice, and the slight tingle from his monkey powers confirmed it. The ifrit from before had returned.

The firey being strode forward, black and red smoke trailing behind him as he advanced on where Kim and the genie were talking. Behind him, Jack Hench and several of his elite guards dismounted and drew weapons. Something about the lord looked... different... this time. He didn't like the smug smile the lord wore.

"Yori, I'll get the red dude, you get Hench?" She nodded and peeled off to engage the lord while he moved to intercept the evil being. He sighed inwardly and called up his monkey magic. With a shiver, he felt them surge through him. He saw that Kim and Shego were also moving up to support him.

The ifrit lashed out, fire surrounding his fist as the blow sped towards Ron's head. Ron ducked the attack and swept a kick towards his opponent. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yori take down the first two of Hench's guards while the lord waited behind, the arrogant smirk still locked on his face.

Ron had to leap back a step and redirect his attention to his opponent as Avarius continued to focus on him, ignoring the two girls as he tried to take out the blond first. The ifrit snarled, his claws seeking a purchase. Kim and Shego flanked the enemy, but their attacks had little effect on him.

Meanwhile, Yori had dispatched the last of the guards protecting Jack Hench. The ninja closed on the rebel lord and lashed out with her blade. Hench, much to everyone's shock, didn't bother to dodge, but instead simply swatted the blow to the side casually. He swapped the surprised ninja to the side, sending her crashing down to the sand.

"Yori!" Ron wanted to help her, but Avarius chose that moment to launch an assault of his own, pressing Ron back.

" **Hench, use it now!** " The ifrit shouted at his ally.

"Gladly." He pointed the rod at the genie, levelling it her way. The gem glowed briefly then faded back to its normal appearance. "It's not working!"

" **Fool!** " Avarius growled, momentarily taking his eyes off Ron. The monkey master pressed the advantage, lashing out and scoring several telling blows on the evil being. " **Gyahhhh! Not again! I will not lose again!** "

"Then I'll fix this!" Hench dashed forward past the others. Kim tried to stop him, but the rebel lord moved faster than they'd seen a human move. He lunged out and grabbed for Shego's lamp, still resting on the ground. "Yes!"

Kim and Ron both gulped, but the genie just grinned. Hench held the lamp out towards her. "Genie, I wish -"

"No." Shego cut him off as everyone stared at them.

"I have your lamp, don't you have to grant my wishes?" Hench demanded.

" **You idiot!** " Avarius gasped angrily. " **You can't...** "

Ron cut him off with a series of punches, his magic causing more damage with the attacks against the ifrit. Wounds of fire and smoke crisscrossed his body as the monkey master kept him occupied. A few more kicks smashed into the enemy, and the ifrit lurched backwards. He started to fade, but unlike before, this fading was uneven and apparently painful. Ron punched him one more time...

" **Noooo** _ **ooo..oo...ooo...**_ " The enemy wailed and twisted into a cloud of red and black smoke. The smoke disappeared, fading into the sky.

Hench watched, uneasy, as his ally vanished. The lord backed away, still clutching the lamp. "Genie... Genie, defend me."

"Nope, can't." Shego gloated. "Against the rules."

"But... I have your lamp!" He retreated some more as the three advanced on him...

* * *

Kim edged to the side, staying quiet while Jack Hench concentrated on Shego and Ron. The genie's refusal to obey had obviously confused him. And while Kim wasn't too sure what exactly was going on either, she intended to make the most of the distraction.

"Yes, you do have the lamp. Unfortunately for you, you also have my brother's ring." Shego grinned as she sprang forward, her kick causing the lord to flinch. "Mortals can't have more than one genie."

"That... no!" Hench yelled and sent a clumsy punch flashing towards the green girl, but Shego easily dodged it.

Ron, meanwhile, attacked from the other side. His monkey-enhanced blows staggered Hench, forcing him back just far enough for...

Kim leaped out over the rock she'd been crouching behind, tumbling next to Hench and reaching out quickly to grab the lamp from his hand. She kept going, rolling out of reach of the lord. She could feel the cool metal of the lamp, as well as a sympathetic resonance from the magic within. She couldn't see Shego's smile, but she knew it was there.

Then the plasma magic flared up in response...

Kim stumbled and fell to the sand, nearly dropping the lamp. The pain was worse than ever this time, and she could barely stand. Ron looked over towards her and gasped. "KP!"

Hench took advantage of the distraction and slammed a vicious kick into the blond's midsection, sending him lurching backwards. He rushed at the fallen redhead, closing the gap with her faster than expected. Kim fought through her pain and nodded to Ron quickly before tossing the lamp in a high overhead arc. Hench tried to intercept it, but couldn't change his course in time. The lamp landed in the monkey master's hands and he looked up.

"Uh..." He gulped as Hench faced him again. "What's the play, KP?"

"The only play is that you will give me the lamp back, you fool." Hench kept his attention on Ron but calmly walked towards Kim, who was still trying to pick herself up off the ground. He ignored the faint green glow of the plasma, protected by whatever magic he was using.

"Not gonna happen." Ron hated having to say it, but if Hench got ahold of the lamp, and three more wishes, they'd all be dead or worse.

"Fine, I'll just take it from you!" The lord advanced on him, still near Kim, but not really paying much attention to her. Ron backed up a pace, hoping to draw him even further away from his friend. Unfortunately, he didn't have too much room to maneuver as Yori was unconscious nearby as well, and he couldn't risk letting Hench get at her.

* * *

Shego watched helplessly from the side. She'd attacked Hench earlier, but her blows had done nothing. As long as the lord had her brother's ring, she couldn't directly cause him harm. Worse, that meant there was no way for her to stop him from hurting Kim. She clenched her hands, wanting more than anything to find some way to help. Her anger and resentment over the wish from earlier had vanished. She couldn't let anything happen to Kimmie...

Ron kept himself between Hench and Yori, clearly not willing to give the traitor a second hostage. He held her lamp tightly and glanced over at her. He frowned in thought, and Shego knew he was thinking about a wish.

She wanted to warn him not to do it, as once he made his last wish, she'd have to wait for someone else to pick up her lamp. And if Hench used up her brother's wishes and got the lamp... She shuddered at the thought of that foul possibility.

"Shego," Ron called out. "I wish that Kim would be healthy and cured of the magic that's hurting her!"

"Granted!" She responded automatically. She felt something appear in her hand and glanced down to see a small letter sealed with the sultan's personal crest and bearing her name in an elegant script. She looked up and saw Kim was still collapsed on the ground, still too close to Hench.

The traitor lord barked a laugh when nothing else happened. "Sad, truly sad. I see that once I get the lamp, I'll have to do some genie training, as you've clearly neglected to bother with it."

Shego's hands clenched in anger at his dismissive tone, crumpling the letter slightly. _The letter_... It had appeared in her hand as a result of Ron's final wish, so maybe... She slid her nail, breaking the wax and opening the letter to reveal more of the sultan's handwriting.

' _Shego,_

 _By the time you read this, the magic ailing Kim will be too unstable to remove with the staff even if it is recovered. Other spells would likewise result in serious and probably permanent harm to one or both of you. That being the case, we are left with one solution.'_

"Get to the damn point already, Cyclops." Shego growled, but Hench was still bickering with Ron, neither willing to take their attention off their opponent, or move too far from Kim or Yori respectively.

 _'By its very nature, I cannot order this from you, only inform you of it. If I am wrong about you, I can only ask that you pass this information on to someone else._

 _Time and time again, the stories mention one solution that can fix problems caused by magic. I understand it is trite, and you might not take it seriously, but it is the only way short of a wish that might not even work anyway._

 _True love's kiss._

 _If you truly care about Kim, truly love her and want to help her, then kiss her. That should be all that is needed to let the magic return to where it belongs._

 _Betty Director.'_

...

...

...

"Snap..." Shego whispered as her eyes, without any direction from her brain, sought out the ailing redhead.

* * *

Kim looked up from her haze of pain, taking in the scene. Hench was still close, but no longer directly threatening her, but too close for comfort. His attention, fortunately, was entirely focused on Ron, as the monkey master held the lamp protectively. If only she hadn't let the plasma start getting out of control again. Or if she hadn't gotten upset and made that stupid wish in the first place...

She started and struggled a bit as hands gripped her and pulled her backwards. She glanced over and Shego put a finger to her lips, silencing any outcry before it could distract Hench. The rebel lord was slowly advancing on Ron, who was unwilling to either set down the lamp or move away from Yori.

"Sh - Shego?" Kim asked quietly, her voice still weak as she fought to contain the plasma.

"Kimmie..." The green girl caressed her cheek. "I'm going to save you."

"How?" She hugged herself, the fire burning throughout her body, threatening to consume her. "It's... too much! I can't - can't - ..."

"Trust me, princess." Shego leaned in and, before Kim could do or say anything, kissed her.

For about half a second, Kim froze in shock before surrendering to the kiss. The genie's warm lips on hers. Her own arms snaking around the other girl's neck. Shego's scent, a faint blend of mint and flame. Her own hunger for the green girl, and how much she'd wanted to do exactly this for the longest time.

"Wow..." She whispered, her breathing still shallow, but no longer from pain.

"Yeah..." The genie agreed.

It took her a moment, but she eventually noticed the faint green glow around the genie - a glow that had been missing since the first attack by Avarius. "Shego, your plasma!"

"Huh?" The green girl looked down at herself. "Oh..." A slow smile grew on her face. "It worked!"

"Uh..." Countless comments raced through Kim's mind, but movement to the side reminded her why they were here. "I... We should help Ron. Talk later?"

"Yeah, talk later." Shego started off to the side. "I can't fight Hench directly, so I'll go check on Yori. Stay safe."

"You too." She squeezed the genie's hand softly before moving towards where Hench was facing off against Ron.

Ron's eyes widened slightly when he spotted Kim sneaking up on the lord and tensed, readying for her to make a move. She launched a kick, catching the rebel in the back and sending him staggering towards the monkey master. Off balance, he was unprepared for Ron's followup attack, which left him nearly falling to the ground.

"No! How did - ?" He waved a hand, and tried to resume his fighting stance. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. I won't lose to you! This is my time!"

Kim kicked him again, but it felt like kicking a brick wall. Whatever Hench had done had made him far tougher than she expected. At least it was distracting him and letting Ron get in some more effective blows. His monkey magic let him get around whatever protections Hench was using.

Kim switched her approach after noticing it. She did her best to set the traitor up for further attacks from Ron, and was mostly successful.

"It - it can't..." Hench gasped. "Genie, I..." He tried to rub the ring on his finger, but Ron drove an elbow into his chest and sent him gasping to the ground. "Not... like this..." A final punch left him unconscious. The monkey master took the opportunity to remove the ring from his finger. He slipped it in his belt pouch and handed Kim the lamp back.

"What do we do with him? I don't think tying him up will do all that much good, given how strong he is now." Ron asked her.

"Yeah, this might be a problem." Kim agreed.

"You could wish him away." He mused. "It might work."

"Uh, considering how well most of our wishes have gone so far, I don't want to risk it." She turned to where the genie was helping Yori over to them. "Shego, any ideas on what to do with him?"

"Well, he's sorta magical now, you could wish him locked up in the magic realm. At least they'd be equipped to deal with him there." The genie shrugged. "I'm sure my brother would know more about that stuff."

"I guess if no one else has any better ideas." She paused. "I can wish him there, right? I mean, he no longer has the ring."

"Then yeah, it should work." The green girl nodded.

"Okay, Shego, I wish that Jack Hench would be imprisoned in the magic realm so he could be held safely." Kim held out the lamp.

"Granted." Shego grinned as the lord disappeared.

"Booyah!" Ron cheered then looked around at his friends. "We did win, right?"

"Yeah, I'd call this one a win." Kim smiled slowly, but it faded to a frown. "Uh, sorta. We still do have a rather large army to deal with. Y'know, back at home."

"Oh. Right. That." He frowned. "Snap... Not sure how much my monkey magic is gonna help against an army. D'ya think a wish or two might work? We got two genies now."

"I'm glad you guys think I'm that powerful, but an entire army is beyond even me." Shego sighed then frowned. "Maybe if I worked with Hego..." She grimaced. "The blue idiot is never gonna let me forget this one."

Kim met Ron's gaze and he nodded. "Okay, let's be really careful with this..."

* * *

"... See, sister? When genies use their magic for the betterment of everyone, we cannot be stopped! Working for good..." Hego continued blabbing on and on and on, but no one was paying much attention to him.

One they'd made their way back to sultan Betty's army, they explained their idea to her and planned out the wishes, as well as how best to help support the troops. With no leader, no magic, and no sign of any pay any time soon, Hench's forces fragmented rapidly. The vast majority fled when Shego, Hego, and Ron took the field, their powers letting them take out the enemy with little trouble. Meanwhile, Kim and Yori had snuck around behind the lines and captured the few leaders Hench had left in charge while he'd hunted them.

All in all, the battle had lasted barely an hour and the sultan's side was decisively victorious. With Hench's forces broken and fleeing, the sultan's troops were celebrating.

The four of them plus Hego had been invited to join the sultan and her advisors for the festivities. One by one they'd slipped out of the pavillion while Hego talked with everyone unfortunate to wander close enough for him to talk to.

"Ron-san, I would like to hear more about how you stopped Hench." Yori smiled at the blond boy. Shego had to hide a laugh when Kim finally gave him a small shove and whispered a hint to him and he walked off with the ninja, blushing fiercely.

"If she ever figures out just how clueless he really is, he's doomed, you know?" Shego grinned.

"Oh yeah." Kim agreed. "Though, I doubt he'd mind."

"Probably not." The genie sat there quietly for a while, glancing from time to time at the redhead sitting next to her. Despite what they'd said after she'd... cured Kim's plasma problem, they hadn't really talked yet. "So..."

"Yeah..." Kim replied, her head down.

"Kimmie..." Shego began, but trailed off again, the right words escaping her grasp. "I'm still mad at you for that wish." Okay, not really how she had planned for this to go, but she needed to say it, say all of it.

"I'm really sorry about that." The redhead told her.

"But, I kinda realized something. It... it doesn't bother me anymore. When I saw you... when you collapsed on the sand... I was so scared." She admitted. For a moment, she wanted to stop, to make something up to hide that temporary display of weakness, but she shoved those thoughts back down. She needed Kim to understand. "I don't want to lose you, Kim."

"I can't lose you either, Shego." Her heart fluttered at the words from the redhead.

"Kimmie, I..." She leaned in, her lips meeting the shorter girl's. She let the kiss say everything she couldn't. Kim drew closer, her arms finding their way around the genie as the kiss continued. In that moment, Shego knew - Kim felt the same way as her.

The other girl pressed back, deepening the kiss. The redhead moaned softly and Shego's brain threatened to melt. Her hands travelled along Kim's back, and she revelled in the feel of her.

 _I love you, Kimmie_.

When Kim jerked upright in her arms, flinching back slightly, Shego winced. Lost in the moment, she'd spoken the truth out loud. The redhead was staring at her, wide-eyed. "You love me?" She asked quietly.

"Well... I mean..." Shego stared into those olive green eyes, her own voice soft and husky. "Yeah, I love you, Kim."

"You love me..." The redhead repeated, still looking dazed. Then a smile broke through and her arms shot out to circle Shego's neck and she was hugging the green girl. "You love me!"

"I lo - mm _mmmppphhmmmmmmmmm..._ " Kim cut her off, the shorter girl's lips claiming her own. The genie hugged her back, losing herself in the kiss, in having Kim in her arms. _Okay, so this 'talking' thing isn't so bad_.

They eventually drifted apart, both girls wearing silly, happy smiles. The redhead sobered up a little and stared at Shego. "Shego, is there a way you could stay? Without the lamp, I mean? I hate that you're tied to it like this."

"I don't know." She frowned. "Genies are tied by their objects of power. It's how we can live here in the mortal world. Otherwise, we have to go back to the magic realm."

"Could... Would a wish be able to free you?" Kim asked hesitantly.

Shego stared at her, shocked. "You'd free me? No one frees a genie. I don't think it's even possible."

"Yeah well, anything is possible for a Possible." The redhead grinned. "What can it hurt to try?"

Shego sat there thinking while Kim looked on expectantly. _Can I really do this? Give up all my powers? Become mortal?_ The memory of Kim collapsed on the ground, the plasma threatening to consume her flashed through her mind once more. _Can I risk losing her again?_

The silence started to grow uncomfortable and Kim's smile was starting to fade a little. Shego knew she had to say something, but her mind was stuck racing in place. Finally, her mouth worked. "Okay, Kim, do it."

"Shego, I wish you were free." Kim held the lamp.

"Granted!" Shego gasped as magic tore through her. She'd never before felt anything even close to this before. Even when Avarius' staff had taken her plasma powers hadn't been even the slightest fraction of this. When it finally ended, she was left gasping on the ground, feeling worn out and... odd.

"-go! Shego!" She gradually became aware of Kim next to her, holding her upright. "Are you okay? C'mon, say something! Shego!"

"What happened?" She croaked. Her voice was raspy, weak. It matched about how she felt right now.

"You, uh, glowed - a lot! - then your lamp just faded and wisped away." Kim was still staring at her and holding her close, afraid to let go. "You passed out some time while that happened."

Shego held out an unsteady hand and was relieved that at least some things were the same. "I'm still green."

"Is that a good thing? Cause I like you green." Kim smiled hesitantly at her.

"Yes it's a good thing." She grinned back. "It'd be a little too weird otherwise."

Kim held her for a while, until she felt steady enough to stand. The redhead helped her to her feet and looked her over. "How do we know if it worked?"

"Well, the lamp disappeared for one." Shego pointed out. "Why not try making a wish?"

"What should I wish for?" Kim frowned.

"If I'm really not a genie anymore, does it matter? It won't work."

"Okay." Kim faced her. "I wish we were all back home at the palace."

"Hmmm..." A small smile grew on Shego's face. "No. Sorry, cupcake, nothing's happening."

"Then..." Kim looked genuinely happy too. "You're..."

"Yeah, I'm mortal. I can stay." She pulled the shorter girl into an embrace, kissing her. "And I think I have a wish for you now..."

* * *

 _End_

* * *

 _A/N: So yeah, this one ran a bit long. I got delayed by Thanksgiving and then jury duty and a lot of other real life things to deal with, so I ended up writing a little at a time over the past month. It was only when it was done that I saw that it ended up longer than I expected. Sorry for all the delays!_

 _Anyway, that's it for Season One. I'm closing this part of the story out, but I plan on writing a Season Two, dealing with Hana and Monkey Fist and more._

 _Thanks everyone for reading!_


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